Since When Do Heeros Have a Sense of Humor?
by ArminaSkitty
Summary: A Pocket Bish fic with a twist. Heeros with a personality? And what is this 'Original Character' you speak of? Chap 1 revamped as of 3.15.06. Give it a second chance, if you're feeling humane.
1. Awkward Landing, Version 2

Since When Do Heero's Have a Sense of Humor: A Bish World Fic

Summary/intro/disclaimer thingy: Yes, this is yet another spin-off of Songwind's fic. But what else can you do when presented with such a useable world? The rules will be much the same, with only a few tweaks to fit my sense of reality, plus the add-in of the Original Character (you'll just have to read to find out what that is). I may include citrus later in the fic, but this will definitely be an adult fic so I'm rating PG-13, R to be safe, so M or whatever rating has. And yes, Armina basically is me, and I will be adding my friends and maybe some few others. I'll have to think about the others and weigh demands with my chronic laziness.

Oh yeah: THE ONLY CHARACTERS I OWN ARE ARMINA AND KETRIC, EVERYONE ELSE BELONGS TO THEIR RESPECTIVE CREATORS, BE THEY LEGALLY OWNED CHARACTERS OR FANFIC WRITER'S MUSES! THE WORLD BELONGS TO SONGWIND, THE CONCEPT TO TOKIO-SAMA AND LADY SILVER SEISHI-SAMA! NOT TO ME, I'M JUST STEALING FOR MY OWN ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES! Suing me will only get you a cat nick-named Anti-Christ for a reason, a five year old laptop with a lot of YAOI on it and a major headache, 'cause I don't go down easy! Heh heh…

_Italics_ indicates thoughts

"#text#" indicates another language

""_text""_ indicates telepathy (if I use it)

Oh and one more thing, the fic does pick up after this, so give it a chance, ne?

Chapter 1, version 2

* * *

_It's been a long day,_ a twenty-year-old college girl named Armina thought as she flopped onto her borrowed bed, a_nd it's going to be a longer night._ She sighed and stretched slightly, popping the joints in her over-abused back. Apparently all colleges seemed to think that all students were pack mules and all teachers seemed to think that their class was the only one that was being taken. _And it being finals season only makes that perception all the worse._

It was late spring semester, but there couldn't be anything less spring-like about the young, bespectacled woman's attitude. All of her attention was taken up with stressful school assignments and a deep depression. _Let's see, I have an English research paper I need to finish and all I have are a few sources and an outline; I have an art project due, with only a vague idea floating around for that; I have a Photoshop project due soon as well, and I don't even have a vague idea for that one; and I don't even want to think about what I have to get done for math! _

The young woman sighed, she really didn't want to work on anything, but she really needed to. Plus, she shouldn't be feeling such apathetic depression; her uncle was paying for her school fees after all, on top of getting her inh-

_Better not think about that,_ she thought suddenly, _I should get started on my English paper._ Her bed was right next to her desk which held her laptop; all it took was for her to reach out her arm and she had said laptop pulled into her lap. She pushed the power button and let her tired mind wander again. It had been a rough year for her and only her supportive family and her addiction to anime had kept her afloat.

She grinned suddenly, _that one tote bag is right, crack _is_ cheaper!_ _Ah, finally awake are we, Wing?_ Armina had followed the trend of naming objects after Gundams that had been started by one of her friends when she had named her Jeep 'Shinigami', since any small animal that got in front of the Jeep invariably died.

Armina turned her mind back to getting her paper started and opened the word document program, and logged onto the internet. _I wonder if I have any emails, _she thought ideally. She doubted it, she had an obscure email provider (which discouraged spam) and non-talkative friends. But still, checking gave her a way to procrastinate more. _Wow, call the papers, I actually have _one_ message. Are volcanoes spewing ice since hell has had to have frozen over._

But as she eyed the message, she was less enthused about it; she didn't recognize the name at all. _Hmm, still, it's not trying to market porn, nor is it claming to be a friend that I've never had, nor is the email address chock full of miscellaneous numbers and letters, _nor_ is it absolutely gigantic in size. It may actually be legit._ She clicked on it and was instantly intrigued. _Catching Bishonen and Bishoujo like pokemon? That's an interesting concept. I like it, you don't have to put up with annoying yellow rodents, just annoying, loud-mouthed Bishoujo. I think I'll look into it; it gives me a reason to procrastinate more._

The young, tired, perpetually failing, college girl clicked on the link and vanished from sight, instantly transported out of a boring, depressing world into one with far more possibilities.

* * *

Heero hitched his bag into a slightly more comfortable position and rubbed his ear with a pained grimace. _I may just be getting hearing back into this one, I think._ He was an older, self-sufficient San, and also had a slight wander lust. He'd been itching to get out of his dinky little home town ever since he first evolved into San stage, but hadn't been able to until now.

He yawned and stretched his jaw until he felt one of his ears pop; the Relena's hadn't been too willing to let him leave and had told him _all _about the dire things that happened to wandering Bishonen. He could fall, get attacked by wild beasts, have a tree fall on him… _Right, as if…_ or worse #gasp# _get captured by a heartless Trainer!_

According to the common opinion, Heero was due to have been caught… _ummn, about seven miles, and two hours, ago. Trainers, feh! Who cares? Look at how long I've been out, and I haven't even seen another _Bish,_ let alone a- What was that noise?_

Heero stood completely still and scanned the area, but saw nothing. _And that didn't sound like someone sneaking up on me; it sounded like a giant bubble popping. Come to think of it, it seemed to have come from abo- ah shit!_ Heero had noticed a shadow while he was thinking and had looked up. Upon looking up, he noticed a human shaped object suspended in midair. It was descending, rather quickly actually. Right down onto the slightly shocked Heero Bishonen right beneath it. _Uhm, I think I should move- _

_#THUD!# #crack!#_

_-now…Ow… I think that was my leg…_ The human shaped object had resolved itself into a one hundred and twenty pound human female, a seventy pound backpack and ten pound laptop computer plus cords, resolving into a two-hundred pound object. All of which had fallen on top of Heero, with the focal point being his leg.

Heero lay there for a moment and wished he could trade those annoying Tweety-birds for stars before his stunned brain kicked back into gear. The female roused at about the same time.

"Ouch…" she said vaguely as she pushed herself up, facing the Bish, "what the heck happened? Where-?" She cut off as her eyes transmitted the fact that she was looking _Heero Yuy_ to her mind. He could see it in the way her eyes bulged and her jaw dropped. At about the same time, the fact that he was looking directly at _a Trainer_ processed in _his_ mind. _EEP!_

"So… that link… It wasn't describing some website… right?" She mumbled, blinking hard as if doing so would change the image before her.

"Uh, guess not," he said, not having a _clue_ as to what she was talking about, and tried to scoot away, "Er, would you kindly- _Ouch!_" he said as his leg reminded him that, yes, it was indeed broken and would he kindly not jar it? It was attempting to knit here!

"Would I kindly ouch?" the young woman said, "What do you-? Oh! Are you okay! No, you can't be, not with you leg at that angle. Hmm, let's see I should…."

_Whoa. Now I know how Duo feels like when he runs into Hilde. Is it even physically possible to talk that fast?_

"What kind of lungs do you women have?" he grumbled, "It's just not right for you people to talk so fast…" the woman looked up at him and quirked a brow.

"Huh, that's different," she said, "for a moment there I could have sworn you just said something slightly humorous."

"Oh, right, you must clearly be delusional since it is _obviously_ impossible for me to posses any kind of real personality since I must _of course_ be completely devoid of any kind of personable traits and resemble an automaton in demeanor." Heero growled, "You must simply be hallucinating if you thought- eh?"

Heero stopped talking and warily eyed the bent over, convulsing Trainer. "Um…"

"Okay, now I know I'm not dreaming." She said as she sat up, revealing that she was laughing. "There's no possible way I would have dreamt of _you_ talking like that or saying those things. You're funny, you know that? And weren't you just complaining about other people talking fast?"

Heero chose to ignore the latter statement, "I'm not funny, I'm cranky! Now would you just… go away or something? You're not going to catch me are you?"

"Catch you?" she asked, "Why would I do that? _How _would I do that?"

"Well you're a Trainer, and I'm a free Bish- Not that I'm available! And-"

"Well, if you so clearly don't want to be caught, however the heck you do that, then I'm not going to. But I'm not going to leave since you clearly need help and I'm obligated to do what I can. Now, I think that if I…"

The denim-clad Pilot Bish blinked. And blinked again. And then blinked a few more times. But it didn't help, the person before him was still locked deep in thought of how to assist him and was not trying to find a way to catch him. This sight and concept was in direct opposition of everything he'd ever been taught about Trainers. His youth had been filled with horror tales of how Trainers stole unwilling Bish away from their homes and families and proceed to torture them. But this woman… wasn't…. going… to do that? _Code lines in conflict… can not compute… division by zero…warning, system failure imminent…

* * *

_

Armina struggled to think of a way to help the person in front of her and was making very hard work of it. Her mind kept running up against the wall that was the fact that she was trying to help someone who should not exist outside of a television screen or off of a sheet of paper. How could someone who was supposed to be completely fictional be sitting before her in warm-bodied, flesh-and-blood with a broken leg? It didn't make sense. Her mind couldn't compute it.

_Ah, get over it. A hundred years ago a thing like television or a computer was utterly impossible. Why not a computer link that transports people into another dimension where people from programs on said TV are real? That makes just as much sense as a small bipedal animal with no fangs or claws, but a big brain taking over the entire world, right? Or those bipedal animals going into space and landing on the moon, right? So you don't know how it was done, you don't know the physics behind that moon walk either, do you Ms. Logic Center?_

'Ms. Logic Center' grumbled and conceded temporary defeat and left Armina to contemplate how to help Heero, and now that she didn't have to argue with her own brain, an idea swiftly emerged.

"Can you set you own leg like you did in the series?" She asked. Heero blinked at her with a slightly glazed over look then shock his head slightly. _Poor guy, must be partly stunned. I did land on him awfully hard_.

"Uh, yeah. I can. Why?" He asked, cocking his head to the side to watch her cautiously. Armina ignored that.

"I'm going to help you splint your leg and then help you get to the nearest city so you can get professional help." She explained.

"Um, why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you helping me?"

It was Armina's turn to blink in confusion. "Why not? It's kinda my fault that you were hurt in the first place. I can't just leave you here to fend for yourself, it wouldn't be right. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go look for something to brace your leg with." Armina picked herself up while shedding her backpack at the same time with practiced ease and walked off, leaving a baffled and confused Heero behind her. When she got a little ways out of sight, she paused for a moment, puzzled.

_Where'd all this energy come from all of a sudden? Wasn't I, like, near-comatose a few minutes ago? Huh, I guess having something legitimately useful to do gives you an energy boost. Or is that an adrenaline rush? Meh, anyway, I have to help Heero. _She continued her search for a couple of long sturdy sticks that didn't immediately crumble into dust when she applied pressure to them.

* * *

Heero stared after the baffling woman, his thoughts in chaos. _Wait- how is- I don't- she's not- HUH?_ He slapped his face a little to try and clear his mind. _How can she think that she's at fault for this? _He glared at his leg._ Well yeah, she fell on me, but how was she supposed to _not_ fall on me? And why does she think she's now _obligated_ to help me? I! Don't! GET! IT!_

Trainers were not supposed to behave like this, they just didn't treat Bish like equals the way she was. Or so he'd been told. _Huh, maybe that's it, the only thing I know about Trainers is what I was told when I was a Chibi. Didn't Kaa-san always threaten me with, 'Be good or the Trainers will bet you'? I guess Trainers are just like everyone else, good, bad and indifferent. I guess she's one of the good ones._

That last thought butted heads with his ingrained prejudice that all Trainers were bad. Everyone back in his home village was absolutely convinced that Trainers were evil beings with no souls. _Yeah, well everyone back home was convinced that Astro Boy Bish were extinct, and then we got that ambassador Bish from that territory with the new treaty. So how right are they, or how wrong? _

Heero grabbed his thigh and began to manipulate his bone back in place. This effectively blocked him from thinking about anything except how much it hurt. When he was done and had chased the pain sparks from his vision he scooted back to lean against a nearby tree. _Whether I decide to trust her or not is a mote point,_ he decided,_ I can't get anywhere with any kind of speed, not with this leg. And I'm not entirely certain where I am in relation to any city, Bish or Trainer. I'm going to have to trust her._

The self admittance that he was currently helpless left a bad taste in his mouth, but it was an unavoidable fact. Just as he came to that conclusion, the strange woman reappeared.

"I got the sticks." She said.

"Great, sticks, just what I always wanted." Heero growled, pissed off with the entire situation and illogically taking it out on her.

"You know, I can _not_ help you." She growled back, "I'd like to see how far you can walk on that leg."

Heero winced, since he had just been thinking about how he was helpless and was in need of her aid. But he still couldn't bring himself to apologize to a Trainer. But she ignored that and walked up to him and looked at his leg thoughtfully.

"What are you planning on doing?" he asked in as neutral a tone as possible. She glanced up at him, her eyes as neutral as his tone.

"This," she replied. She set the sticks on either side of his leg and fished a satin cord-hung pendant out from under her shirt (Heero made a quizzical noise in his throat at that, but she ignored him). Next she located a pair of scissors in her backpack, cut the cord, removed the pendant and wrapped the cord around his leg, binding the sticks to his thigh and thus keeping his bone braced.

"Not bad," Heero admitted reluctantly. She had tied the sticks on in such a way as to immobilize his knee which would prevent him from inadvertently unsetting his leg. "Are you a medic by any chance."

"Nope," she said ruefully, "I just like biology and figuring out how the body works." She frowned down at his leg, "I'm not certain that's gonna hold. Hmm…"

She thought for a moment, then dove down at her shoes, unlacing one and then using the lace to reinforce the brace. "There, that out to do it." She declared while unlacing her other shoe.

"Uh, what are you…" Heero asked, puzzled by her behavior.

"I can't very well go walking around with one tied shoe and one unlaced one now can I?"

"Understood, but how is unlacing your other one going to help?" He asked. He was beginning to wonder about her sanity.

"Unlacing it won't help, but doing this will." She replied, looking up at him in amusement. She neatly folded the second lace in half, snipped the fold and laced up the tops of her shoes with the halved lace. "Loose," she declared, standing and testing them, "but it'll do. Now, we need to get you to a hospital. That splint will work for now, but you need professional help. Is there a city near here that I can get you to?"

Heero gaped up at her, feeling like he'd been hit by a freight-train. This person wasn't a Trainer, she was a force of nature! He shook his head in bewilderment.

"What?"

"You- you are _nothing_ like what I was told about Trainers. Female Trainers are supposed to do nothing and boss their Bishonen around, demanding that they do everything for them."

"Right," she snorted, "act the helpless damsel in distress, correct. Well, in case you haven't noticed, I'm no cute damsel that gets males falling over themselves to help me and I don't believe in being helpless unless nothing I've tried works. Now about that hospital holding city I need to get you to…"

"Um," He said, once again feeling bewildered by the way this person was acting, "there's a road that way," he pointed, "I avoided it to avoid getting caught, but if you head down it you'll probably reach a Trainer village, ah…" He looked at her questioningly, just now realizing that he was forced to entrust his well-being to this woman and he didn't even know her name.

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself, have I? I'm Armina." She said, holding her hand down for Heero. He reluctantly grabbed her hand for the obligatory shake, and found himself being hauled to his feet. She was stronger than she looked, not that she looked strong at all, but…

"And I'm Heero, as you've probably guessed." He admitted as he permitted himself to be braced by her shoulder. She leaned quickly to scoop up her backpack.

"What, no nickname?" She asked teasingly.

"Yes, but you're not allowed to know it!" He snapped.

"Fair, you're not allowed to know my nickname either." She grimaced, "Now which way again to this Trainer village. And, Trainer village versus…" she asked with curiosity.

"Oh, Bish village," He explained as he indicated the way, "Each type of Bish has their specific territory, but others types are permitted to come and go to the villages a bit. But no Trainers are even allowed in the territories, let alone the villages. Ever."

"Oh-kay, so these types? Heero-types or Gundam Wing-types? And why aren't Trainers allowed in?"

"Ah, series types, not character types. And Trainers aren't allowed in because they'd probably sneak into people's houses to capture them and their Chibis, their kids, at night."

"Reasonable enou- Wait! People can capture your kids?" She stared at him aghast as they reached the road. He looked over at her in confusion.

"Don't tell me you wouldn't want a Chibi." He stated. It was common knowledge that all female Trainers went nuts over Chibi's, and a few male Trainers as well. But once again, she defied common knowledge.

"Chibi's are little kid's right?" she asked with grimace, "Ugh, no thank you. I have zero maternal instinct and a very short tolerance for kids. And babies!" she stuck out her tongue, "I know it sounds heretical, but I _hate_ babies! Whiny, noisy demanding, smelly and disgusting! Nope, nu-uh, I don't want kids- are you alright?"

It was Heero's turn to convulse in laughter. Armina set him down carefully, unable to support his full weight by herself. She watched him with concern as she knelt down in front of him.

"Alright, alright, I give!" he laughed, making her cock her head to the side in total confusion. "You are not the stereotypical female Trainer, I have to admit that."

She grinned at him, propping her chin in her hand "And I'm guessing you're not the stereotypical Heero, right? And since when have stereotypes ever been right?"

"Nearly never," he confessed, "and I shouldn't have immediately assumed you would be like the stereotypes. Gomen."

"Well, if what you said is right, then other Trainers catch you guys and steal your kids on a regular basis. Only right for you to be cautious." She moved beside him and draped his arm over her shoulders so she could haul him to his feet again. "Interesting that you should mention stereotypes though, I've never liked them."

_Uh-oh, why do I feel a rant coming?_

"If I was the way I'm stereotypically am supposed to be I'd be a pink-loving, whiny, prissy little Barbie-ified- Um, Heero?"

She'd gotten him again, "So in other words-" He gasped between laughs, "-You'd be just like the Relenas. Glad you defy stereotypes."

"She wouldn't be too helpful in a situation like this, would she?" She asked with a lop-sided grin.

"Oh, she'd be helpful alright," he grimaced, "Just not in a way I'd appreciate." That sent her into sniggers, much to Heero's mild disgust.

"I'm guessing you don't like Relena?"

"Ancestors! _No!_"

"Good, glad we can agree on something." She said with a satisfied nod.

"Like being deviants as well?"

"Definitely, why the hell should I change who I am just so I fit into someone else's narrow perception of the way I _should _be? If they don't like who I am, they can just go hang themselves. I got enough friends to prove that there's nothing wrong with me being who I really am."

"I fear I have to agree with you on not wanting to change yourself, although why you have friends…" he sighed in mock pity, "Those poor, poor people- ouch!" 'Mina smacked Heero lightly in the shoulder.

"Enough of that you, want me to dump you in the road for some Trainer to get?" She scolded teasingly.

"No thanks, I'll behave." He replied, "Maybe- ouch!"

"What did you just say about behaving? Please do so, I'd feel illogically guilty over leaving you behind. I sometimes wonder about my conscience… Oh, looks like we here." The two travelers reached the crest of a small hill that had hidden the city from view. It was rather large, far large than the tiny little village that Heero had grown up in.

"Not too bad in size, is it?" Armina commented casually (city girl).

"#ulp# Yeah, uh, pretty good, um, size…" Heero responded nervously (country boy).

"You okay, aside from the leg?" She asked in concern.

"Huh? Uh, yeah," Heero responded, "It's, uh, there's a lot of Trainers in there, and, um, I, uh…."

"Don't want to be caught, right?" She finished for him, "Don't worry, even if I have to sit by your bedside twenty-four/seven, I'll make sure you don't get caught. It's my fault you're here, and I'll be damned if I'll let something bad happen to you because of it!"

Heero stared at her, once again caught by surprise. Here he was, just outside a huge Trainer village, in the company of a new Trainer, with a broken leg and the new Trainer was beginning to sound like some kind of crazy Amazon. This was _not _how his first day out of his hometown was supposed to be like! What the hell had he gotten himself into!

* * *

A.S.: WOOT! First chapter total revamp: Complete! Whoo-hoo!

Heero: I must say, this is vaguely superior to the previous one. It shouldn't scare off quite so many people as the other one did. Still sucks though.

A.S.: #chucks mallet-sama at Heero# Well, he did bring up a good point, however crudely phrased. I was lookin' at the story stats the other day and noticed that a hell of a lot of people hit the first chapter, but didn't bother going on to the second. And considering how rough and nonsensical-

Heero: like this one makes more sense #ducks flying mallet#

A.S.: -the original one was, I don't blame them. Hopefully I'll keep more readers hooked this way. Tell me what you think, and if you think other chapters need revamping the way this one did. Ja ne!

Heero: And we'll probably never see you again. OW! Enough with the mallets! Dammit Skitty!


	2. Getting Started

Chap 2

Disclaimer: to disclaim or not to disclaim, that is the question. To follow in the footsteps of Black Dragon6 or to go upon a route of my own?

* * *

Armina let out an exasperated sigh and massaged her throbbing temples. What was wrong with these people? What about her story was so hard for the doctors to understand? She had entered this world about ten feet above the ground, above a Heero Yuy to be precise, she had landed on him hard enough to break his leg and she felt a little responsible for his injury. So she had drug him here, where he could get the medical attention he needed, but she was not going to capture him. Nor was she going to allow anyone else to catch him. Heero did not want to be caught. He wouldn't even be facing the threat of capture if it wasn't for her. So she was going to protect him from the other Trainers who only saw him as an un-captured Bish that they could get their grubby hands on. What was so hard to understand about that?

"For the last time: no I don't want him, no you may not have him and no, I won't leave for Orientation until I get your solemn oath that aside from setting his leg and feeding him, you'll leave him alone!" That last was all but shouted as Armina glared fiercely at the nurse in charge of Heero. The nurse's brow wrinkled.

"I don't see why you have to be so possessive. A lot of people would like a Heero and-" The uber-blonde nurse got interrupted

"That's just my point! A lot of people do want Heero but he doesn't want to be caught! The only reason he's here is because I hurt him and I couldn't help him to a Bish Village! So leave him alone!"

"If he didn't want to be caught then what was he doing along the road where you found him?" _All that hair dye must have seeped through her skull and killed her brain cells. She can't be held accountable for her stupidity._ Armina recited to herself as she tried to lower her blood pressure.

"He wasn't by the road, as I said before, he was in the forest, as I also said before. I have recently entered this world, and I entered it in mid-air. I fell on him and broke his leg. As a moral human being I could not leave him there, I had to make sure he was given proper medical attention and since I was told, by him, that Trainers may not enter Bish Villages, I had to bring him to a Trainer Village. That is why he is here, not because he wants to be captured, but because he needs help. Do you understand?" Armina recited carefully and slowly. Maybe now it would get through-

"But any Bishonen that comes to a Trainer Village wants to be captured. What other reason would he have for coming here?" The nurse looked genuinely confused. Armina was getting a genuine migraine. Just as Armina was inhaling to scream in frustration, salvation with an IQ appeared.

"I'll handle this, you see to the comfort of the patient." A woman with authority said to the nurse after giving Armina a look of sympathy. The blonde nodded and sauntered back to Heero's room. The new woman then looked Armina over, gauging her.

Armina returned the favor, and liked what she saw. Unlike the nurse, this woman was dressed practically, with t-shirt, sneakers, and jeans belted close by a broad belt from which a number of things hung. Her hair was held back in a no-nonsense ponytail and her eyes held a patient, intelligent look. All of this made for a competent air. Armina felt her headache beginning to ebb as it looked like she was going to be believed at last.

"Hi, my name's Armina. May I ask your name?"

"Tokio, or Tokio-sama, as some people insist. I helped make this place so I guess that's why people do insist on the 'sama'. I've heard a number of things about you already and knowing the gossip vine I'm sure none of it's true." A quirked brow invited explanation.

"Depends on what you've heard. If you've heard that I'm a stubborn bitch who will demand the answer I want, then that's correct. If you've heard that I'm being utterly unreasonable, then that's false. I don't think that leaving Heero alone and free is unreasonable, if these people lived without him yesterday, then they can live without him today and tomorrow and how ever many day's he stays here until he's healed. And if it's required that I stay here, in his room even, to make sure he stays free, I'll do it!" Armina glared defiantly at Tokio-sama, "It's my fault he's in a Trainer Village in the first place."

"They were right, you are a weird one. But that's fine, not many people see the Bishies as people after all."

"They are people, Heero is at the very least! He acts nothing like the Heero in the show, he acts like a completely unique individual." 'Mina protested.

"_I_ know that they are, I helped design this world, mind. And I agree with you, that this Heero should be left alone if that's what he wants. There is a protocol that if a Bish comes to a Trainer Village looking for help then that Bish is sacrosanct and untouchable. This Heero obviously comes under that heading and must therefore receive the aid he needs and that's all. If he changes his mind and wishes to be captured and says as much, that would be one thing, but currently…" Tokio-sama shrugged. "I'll fill out the paper work saying that he's an emissary-for-aid and is granted immunity. Now, if I do that will you go to orientation?"

"Sure, now that I know Heero won't be caught if I leave." Armina said with a relieved smile.

"Good, now come along, the orientation building is next door. Convenient, ne?"

* * *

"So that's it folks," the Orientation professor said, "three miles, 48 hours, _no Chibi's without permission_. Got that?" The class of four, including Armina, nodded. The professor had done a good job getting the basics across; the Chibi, San, Sama stages, the time and distance limits that you could be separated from your captured Bishies, and other warnings like the Bish territories. He hadn't gone over other things though, like the emissary-for-aid thing. _I bet that there are a lot of rules that exist but that he can't go over, not if he wants to keep the class awake._ As if he had read her mind, the professor started to hand out booklets

"There are a lot of other things that you don't necessarily need to know right now, but should look into for the future. Those things are covered in here; other rules and codes of conduct, basic how-to's for situations that you might find yourself in, like if your Bishies decide to mate and you find yourself in the position of breeder," Armina looked up at that and narrowed her eyes. Mate? Breeder? Those were animal breeding terms! _You don't hold intelligent conversations with animals! You do with people, and I may not be the smartest girl in the world but I still held an intelligent conversation with Heero!_ The professor continued, oblivious to Armina's silent protests, "and what you should do if you find yourself the expectant parent of a half-Bish."

_That_ caught the attention of the entire class.

"Half-Bish?" Asked a young brunette girl at the back of the class, "Like, half Trainer, half Bishie?" the professor nodded.

"You mean we're _compatible _with them!" a black haired boy gaped in obvious shock.

"Indeed we are. The revered Lady Silver Seishi-sama and revered lady Tokio-sama decided that it would be a good idea. Many people want to make a family with the one he or she loves and if that loved one is a Bish, how cruel would it be to not have a child by that loved one?" the professor then sighed, "Unfortunately, that brings other problems, like prejudice and the resultant cruelty towards half-Bish. Many Trainers don't understand half-Bish and most full Bishies don't accept the half-Bish."

Armina thought on that, "Like the so called 'Oreos' back in the other world, half African, half Caucasian. Those people got a lot of grief at first as well."

The professor nodded. "And for as little reason. The children from two different races are often the result of love. Why shouldn't such children be as accepted as the emotion itself? And on that thought, it's time for the next part of orientation: getting your gear." The professor rose and gestured for the four new Trainers to follow him into the next room and, intrigued, they did so.

In that room was a table full of… clothing? Belts, vests, and hats adorned the surface. Behind that table was a half-wall which opened into what looked like a pharmaceutical lab with all sorts of various equipment. There was a young man in some sort of uniform behind the table while behind the half wall was a middle aged woman in different kind of uniform, smiling benignly out at everyone.

"Alright minna-" the professor began. Armina restrained the urge to respond to her nickname. "-time for you to get your Bish-balls. We'll have to draw you blood to make your own, personal balls. What we get now will be good for around one hundred balls. When, or even _if_, you use that many, you'll have to go to an Orientation building like this one to give some more blood for another batch." The professor blinked and smiled, "Well, who's first?"

No one moved. Armina looked at her fellow newbies with a slight touch of scorn, walked up to the woman behind the half-wall who held an empty, capped syringe and held out her arm. The woman smiled approvingly at her, swabbed her arm at the inner elbow with an alcohol wipe and uncapped the syringe. Armina temporarily became fascinated with the clock above the door on the opposite wall. She felt a slight pain, as if she had gotten a splinter while gardening, then a pressure.

"Alright, you're all done." The very motherly-acting woman said with a pat. Armina looked at her arm, where a small cotton ball was taped to her inner elbow over a vein. _That must have been the pressure_. "Go ahead and pick out your supplies, by the time you're done with that, your balls should be ready."

"Thank you." Armina replied, giving the woman a half bow, Japanese style. The woman beamed again before turning to the next vic- er, Trainer, the black haired boy who looked miffed that a mere female had been braver then he. 'Mina ignored him and turned to the table and the young man behind it. "So, what's all this stuff for?"

"Well, we have your common Bish-ball belt, your Bish-ball vest and your Trainer pack." He said, lifting up an empty backpack that had been hidden under the table. "We also have a complementary Trainer hat, new this year, perfect for keeping the sun and rain outta your eyes on those long treks between cities-" he was interrupted by an exclamation of dismay.

"What? You mean we have to _walk_ everywhere?" cried out the final new Trainer, a long-haired red-headed girl of probably 16 to 17 years of age. Her clothing looked _very_ fashionable, which caused 'Mina to instinctively dislike her, having been at the bottom of the social pyramid almost all her life.

"Well, yes." The man answered, a little baffled by her behavior. "The only vehicles are in the hands of emergency officials, or the public trains. On rare occasions, when we get someone with a physical disability, that person is given a motor vehicle, but everyone else walks. Cuts down on congestion and pollution, we are trying to create a better, cleaner world here after all." That last bit was said with some understandable pride. The red-head looked horrified.

"You don't expect _me_ to, to _walk_ everywhere do you? I'll get my clothes all dusty and-"

"Oh, can it already!" 'Mina snapped, her patience exhausted and then some. "In case you haven't noticed, no one here cares about you personal crisis, which isn't one in the first place. No one cares about your clothes, you status or you for that matter if you continue carrying on like that!" The girl looked utterly shocked, as if she had never expected to be addressed in such a fashion. _Spoiled little social princess-bitch. Probably queen of her school, expecting everyone to lay down in front of her so she can walk on them and not get her newly painted toe nails scuffed._

"If you don't like the way things are run here and the fact that you really don't matter all the much you can just say the word and go home, didn't you hear that? Or where you waiting for the rest of us to take your notes and do your thinking so you could remain queen of the campus with out working or sweating a minute? Well guess what sweety, you're going to have to do your own work from now on and sink or swim by your own effort, just like the real world. No one is going to let you sleep your way to the top here, and I say it's about damn time that a place like this came about!"

While the uber-popular red-head gaped like a landed fish from being spoken to in such a fashion, 'Mina turned to the man by the table, who was also looking a little stunned at what had just happened. In fact, everyone in the room looked stunned at that outburst, as if they had never expected the nearly ugly, glasses-bearing, clearly unpopular girl to have spine enough to snap back at the popular crowd. Armina didn't care what they thought, she never had.

"If you don't mind, I'd like one of those vests, and a cap please." She said, in a much more polite and deferential tone to the young man by the table.

"Uuhh, what? Oh, yeah, okay.." he responded, as he woodenly handed her the requested items. 'Mina took them and went over to a full size mirror in a corner to put them on. She stared at her reflection and her reflection stared back.

A tall, thin, plain, young woman stood before her in the mirror, the face too long, the nose too large, the jaw too heavy for anything like beauty or even mere prettiness to be held there. The fact that her features were even and her eyes large, soft and filled with a general friendliness kept her from being truly ugly. Then there was her hair, unruly but the only thing about her that could be called beautiful, composed of blonde, red, brown and even a little black hair, its diverse hues made it lovely. Not that it saved her. She was too skinny, breasts too small, hips too narrow, legs too scrawny even if they were fashionably long. No, no beauty, or prettiness, could ever be found in her form, a thing she had known for how long?

_Fifth grade? Fourth even? Doesn't matter, I was unpopular before I even knew what unpopularity was. And that had hurt, at one time, being the scapegoat, the joke butt, the one that everyone teased. It hadn't been until high school that she had found salvation. She had moved, remaining unpopular, but had lost the few friends she had had. And then it had hit her. _

_I don't want to be the friends of those jerks. I don't want to have to do what it takes to be popular, to stab in the back those who wish to be friends. I don't even like 90 of the people who are popular, I like the people who became my friends because they like me. I'm probably not going to see any of these people after I graduate, why should I let their opinions and taunts affect me if I don't care about them. _

So she had stopped caring, had stopped listening to what the populars had to say. Their opinions, their sneer ceased to have any power over her, and the mind set she had had spread to her friends. It had been incredibly liberating, suddenly they could do whatever they wanted, no matter how dorky or embarrassing and the populars could do nothing about it. She and her friends had even done the Fusion Dance for fun in plain view of anyone who had cared to watch and hadn't cared a wit.

_It was, and is, so easy. Just don't give a damn about Them and They have no power over you. The only ones that matter are the ones closest to you, the ones you do care about. Only their opinions matter because only they have your best interests at heart and believe that you have their best interests at heart in return. Armina cinched the khaki vest over her already flat chest and pulled her backpack on, then grimaced at the weight. _

"Um, excuse me? Is there any place where I can sell my school books? I don't need them any more and they're heavy!" She asked over her shoulder. The assembled crowd looked and blinked at her. The red-head 'humphed' and snubbed her, the brunette girl and black haired boy went back to having their balls made and picking out their stuff. The Professor cocked his head and looked at her in confusion.

"Come to think of it, you really aren't supposed to have your backpack with you. Theoretically the only things that come with you are the clothes you wear. How did it happen that not only do you have your back pack, but your laptop computer as well?"

"I had just come home from my last class and I still had my backpack on when I checked my email. And since my laptop is a _lap_top, I had it in my lap when I clicked the link. That's the only thing I can think of." Armina offered.

"Huh, makes sense I guess. Well anyway, there are bookstores and pawnshops here that you can sell unneeded items at, but since you are a new Trainer you won't need money for a while. You have a set amount of credit to help you get on your feet. It is generous, but still finite, so spend it wisely. I'd recommend food, a shelter of some sort, survival gear and durable spare clothes. Entertainment and accessory items can wait until you are financially stable with a set source of income." The professor looked very sure about that and Armina didn't blame him. What he had suggested only made sense after all.

"Alright, I'll do that. But I don't suppose you have a city map of some sort, do you? I'd enjoy knowing where exactly these stores are so I don't needlessly explore the entire city." The professor smiled at her and dug through his coat pocket and handed her a slightly battered map

"Feel free to keep it, I have no more need of it." He said. When she looked up to meet his eyes, she saw a look of strong approval. "Nice speech by the way."

"Thanks" So, he had been at the bottom as well, and now had a position of some authority, huh? Things were starting to look up. Now, to check on Heero and then get herself geared out.

* * *

Heero stared at the ceiling of his hospital room, fretted and tried to come to grips with his increasingly confused feelings. He trusted Armina, he had finally learned her name from the nurse who had fussed over him, to keep her word completely now, after that rather loud argument in the hallway outside his room. It was the other people he didn't trust. Armina _couldn't_ stay near him the entire time he was bed-ridden here, and the moment she had left he had started sweating. The fact that Tokio-sama had come in and assured him of a kind of diplomatic immunity had reassured him not at all. Tokio-sama was one of the people responsible for the slave system of Bish-balls and Trainers after all, how could he trust her to view him as a person? 

_And what about Armina? I want to thank her, she's done a lot for me and she didn't need to. She is not strong at all, anyone could see that, but she half-carried me here the entire way. She could have left me there, she could have gone for help and left some one else take care of me. She didn't, she claimed that she was responsible. How the hell could she have _avoided_ falling on me? She just came into this world, she must have been extremely disoriented. There was no way she could have adjusted her fall. It wasn't her fault that I got hurt. If it was anyone's it was mine. I could have gotten out of _her _way._

Except that that might have let her get injured instead, without Heero's body to cushion her fall. _Would I have tended to her the way she did me?_ It was painful to realize that he would probably not have been so kind. _I owe her dammit all!_

He sighed and stared at his blanket covered feet, grimacing at the bulky cast on his leg. _I hope she comes back, I have to-_ What? What did he have to do? What did he _want_ to do? _I want to go with her, I want to help her and spend more time with her. I enjoyed talking to her, I think we get along fairly well for a Trainer and a Bishonen. I like her company._ His subconscious was nudging up an idea that he was rather uncomfortable about contemplating. Everything he wanted to do fell under the category of Companion Bishonen. A Captured Bishonen. _Do I really want to be caught? To be her first Bishonen? _Half of him was eagerly crying _yes, he did,_ while the rest of him gasped in horror at the thought. How could he _want _to be _caught_? Hadn't his childhood been filled with horror stories of what happened to Gundam Pilot Bishonen who were caught? Abuse, rape, neglect, ill and inexpert care, even abandonment as the Trainer realized that Gundam pilots were not particularly strong, these stories had filled his young ears and his nightmares. He had been painfully aware that such a fate might befall him as he had left the Village.

_But Armina wouldn't do that, I know it. But how could he be so sure? He had only just met her today after all. _

The memory of her yelling at the staff of the hospital drifted to the fore of his mind, followed by the memory of her binding his leg, then offering her shoulder. _No, she would never hurt me._ Another memory, her tart reply to his distrust. _Okay, she won't hurt me _bad._ I'll have to make sure that she doesn't get a mallet or paper fan though._

Heero started as he realized the tone of that last thought. He had decided, he wanted to be her first Bishonen. _Huh, I wanted to explore after all, get out of that dinky Village. If she doesn't come to visit me, I think I'll just go track her down and make her catch me-_

"Oh, good, you're still here. Looks like Tokio-sama kept her word." Those cheerful words said suddenly out of nowhere caused Heero to yelp and jump in surprise. Armina stared at him in equal surprise at his reaction. He glared at her, she blinked then glared right back. After all, she hadn't _meant_ to startle him. Then her lips twitched, and he chocked slightly. Then they both dissolved into giggles at the incident.

"Sorry," she gasped, "didn't mean to scare you, I just was in a rush because I do _not_ trust that nurse to keep her word."

"With good reason," Heero replied with a grin, "she kept trying to 'convince' me to ask her to catch me." Then he grimaced, "Not that there was a chance of that, she was a bit too much like Relena for my piece of mind, vain and utterly convinced that her feminine wiles can get her anything." Then he grinned, he was about to pay her back for making him jump a moment ago. "So, you got your Bish-balls right? What are you waiting for?"

Armina blinked "Waiting for what? Huh?"

"Aren't you going to catch me?"

"Catch y- but you said you didn't want to be caught!"

"Can't a Bish change his mind if he meets a Trainer he likes?"

"Likes? Me? But don't you-? Wouldn't you like-? Shouldn't you-? I- I-? I don't understand." She finished weakly wandering over to a chair and sinking into it. She looked _very_ confused. _Mission accomplished._

"What's to understand? I want you to catch me, I want you to be my Trainer. I like you and I trust you to be good Trainer. I think we'll work well together. I have a feeling you'd even let me go if I wanted to leave."

"Of course I would, I'm no slave master to force someone to do something he or she _really_ does not want to do. If you wanted out, I'd let you out, even if you were the only Bish I had. I'd rather go home then keep someone against his will!" That was said so forcefully that Heero had no choice but to believe her. And it touched him, truly. Here was someone who was so moral, so conscientious that she would rather go back to whatever dreary world she had come from than be a slave driver like the other Trainers. _I was right about her_.

"Good," was all he said in response. "So, what are you waiting for?" he repeated with a grin. She blinked then grinned back. Wisely, she didn't verbally reply this time, merely picked out a ball from the right pocket of her vest. It was tiny, about the size of a marble. _That can't be right._ All of a sudden it grew to about the size of a tennis ball. He blinked in surprise, she just acted as if it was expected. She tapped his arm before he could voice a second opinion. He was sucked inside.

* * *

A.N: Okay, the second chapter is done. I apologize to any red-heads who may have been offended by this chapter, but not to anyone else. If you were offended by my rant, then maybe you should double-check the way you treat other people. And yes, that rant was a long time in coming, Otaku's rarely rank high in the social scale. I may not have been bullied as much as other people, but that is only because I didn't let myself be bullied. There's some advice for others who may be in a similar situation: don't let verbal taunts get to you and they lose their power. And if you are being physically bullied, GET HELP! It's the job of teachers, councilors, and any other official on a school campus to see to the well being of the students. They have seen bullying before, they will believe you. And if you feel you can't trust the school staff, Call the Police! Bullying can count as torture and harassment, which is a legal offense. And if you think I'm over-reacting, take a look at the suicide ratio's and then tell me I'm over-reacting. But, no, I didn't lose a friend, my friends could have lost me if they hadn't been there for me. That's why I'm saying this here and now.  
Okay, I'm done preaching. (sweatdrop) 


	3. Basic Needs

Disclaimer: No I don't own anyone except the slightly bitchy main character. No I'm not making any money. No, suing me will not gain you anything except pissing off the courts, your lawyer and me. You must have better things to do with your time then to piss off a mediocre college student with no life. Go do them.

* * *

Armina stared at the ball that held Heero in a little dumb-founded shock. Her first Bish, already. She hadn't been here for a full twenty-four hours and she had her first Bish. She pulled out her Bishie-Dex, _I think I'll just call it my Dex,_ and pressed the data button

"Bishonen: Heero Yuy, Level: San, Nickname?" it squawked in a robotic voice.

"Hee-kun."

"Bishonen: Heero Yuy, Level: San, Nickname: Hee-kun, Status: injured, broken leg, professionally splinted. Repair now?" That was a shock.

"Uh, yes please."

"Repairing….. Complete. Status: no status problems."

"thanks…"

"Oh, good, so the auto repair system works, that's good." Came a slightly familiar voice from behind her.

"YIPE!" said Armina. She squeezed the ball and Heero came out looking dazed and alarmed. He spread his weight evenly without think about it as he crouched into a battle-ready stance. Tokio-sama raised her hands in a pacifying gesture as Armina turned and glared at her and Heero looked ready to attack and defend his Trainer.

"Gomen, gomen. I didn't mean to scare you. I was just surprised that the auto repair system is working already. LSS-sama and I just made it two days ago." Tokio-sama said.

"Auto repair? Hey! My leg isn't broken any more!" Heero exclaimed. He looked over at Armina, who was still trying to get her heart out of her throat and back into her chest were it belonged.

"You… are evil…Make some noise next time, if you please. Now, what's this auto repair, aside from the obvious?" Armina managed to gasp out.

"It's a system that automatically repairs _relatively _minor injuries, like professionally set broken bones, some lacerations, burns, minor poisoning and the like. Any major injuries have to be attended to by a professional doctor though, but the other plus side of this system is that the injured Bish will be held in stasis if taken into his or her ball." Tokio-sama explained

"So, if I fell off a cliff or had another, heavier Trainer fall on me," Heero said with a sidelong glance at Armina, who glared, "All 'Mina-chan would have to do is put me in that ball and I'll stay in the exact same shape?"

"Uh-huh, no more bleeding, no more shock trauma, no more debilitation of any kind. It will allow the Trainer to get his or her injured Bish to help in time, where before Bishies who were defending their Trainers had died while their Trainers where trying to get help."

"Ah good, no more dragging injured Heero's half way across a county." 'Mina said, rubbing her shoulder, "I think I dislocated something."

"Like your common decency?" Heero asked, oh-so-innocently.

"More like yours actually." 'Mina returned. Both teasers stopped as they heard a choked sound. It was Tokio-sama, trying to stifle her giggles.

"Ohmygawsh, I've never heard a newly caught Heero tease his Trainer like that! Where did you come from, that you actually have a sense of humor?" Tokio-sama asked.

"A very small Village." Heero said shortly, watching the Lady warily.

"Ah, yes my apologies, I shouldn't have asked."

"No you shouldn't have."

"Hee-kun, be nice! What you do reflects on me now!" Armina snapped glaring at her new Bish. Heero looked mildly contrite, but not much.

"No, it's alright. I should know by now that Bish can't talk about their Villages to Trainers, not even to me." Tokio-sama said to Armina. "It's part of their security, Bishies have scouts that patrol the borders of their territory, plus they swear absolute secrecy about location and any other important details about the Village. Honestly, I'm surprised you even told me about the size of your Village, Hee-kun."

"Meh," Was all Heero said. The two Trainers looked at him and sweat-dropped. He looked over at Armina, "Can we go now? Please?" he pleaded of his Trainer.

"Hmm? Why?" 'Mina said, lifting her head up.

"That scary blonde might come back." The Trainers sweat-dropped again.

"yeah, sure… Oh, before we leave town we're going to have to pick some things up and, yes Tokio-sama? What is it?" Tokio had cleared her throat noisily to get the attention of the other two.

"Before you take off, there's one thing I'd like to clarify, Heero-" Tokio-sama began.

"huh?"

"You did request that Armina capture you, correct?"

"Ye-es… why are you asking?" Heero replied cautiously.

"Just making sure I don't have to arrest Armina on a treaty violation on her first day here." Tokio-sama replied with smile. The other two stared.

"Why would you-" "Oh yeah! The immunity thing I bugged you for, for Hee-kun!"

"Oh that, why would you arrest her for _that_? She's the one who insisted that you grant me immunity!" Heero finished with a touch of outrage. He'd had a rough day.

"Regardless of who first initiated the emissary-for-aid pact, any Trainer who breaks that pact without permission is subject to arrest without very specific mitigating reasons." Tokio-sama explained.

"Uh, translation please." Armina requested.

"#sigh# If you, a Trainer, had captured Heero without his permission or in any circumstance other then clear self-defense, since a captured Bish clearly cannot attack a Trainer, let alone his own, you are liable for arrest. Is that clear enough?"

"Yup, thanks, got to go loose these books now and get Hee-kun away from the creepy, blonde, bimbo-nurse. Later, bye." With that, 'Mina and Heero scooted out of the hospital, leaving Tokio-sama to beg the ceiling for a reason as to why she still put up with this.

* * *

"So, uh, where are we going again?" Heero asked as 'Mina paused outside the hospital to orient herself.

"To a pawnshop where I can sell all of these goddamn, heavy, worthless, school text books that cost me an arm and a leg." 'Mina said as she stared at the map the Professor gave her, then added, "Plus the opposite hand and foot."

"Oh. Where'd you get the map?"

"Prof. at the orientation gave it to me when I asked for directions"

"Oh," Heero's stomach gave a loud growl. Armina's answered with a growl of it's own. "Um, I don't suppose we could get food first, could we?" He asked, trying not to laugh as loudly as 'Mina was.

"Hai, hai, let's go." 'Mina managed to say between guffaws, "Lunch was a loooong time ago. Now let's see, if we're here, then the restaurant district would be…."

* * *

An hour and a half later, 'Mina and Heero walked into a pawnshop, bellies full, and Heero at least ready to haggle.

"I'd like to sell these." Armina told the clerk at the desk. The young man there glanced over the books 'Mina had placed before with a bored look and named a figure. _Way under what they're worth, don't accept it._

'Mina was just about ready to accept when Heero coughed behind her. It was an odd cough, one the made her glance back at him. _Not a good price,_ he tried to say with a almost unnoticeable shake of his head. 'Mina blinked, looking confused for a moment then her face told Heero that she understood. She looked back at the clerk and name a price that was over twice what he had said and a fair amount more then what Heero thought the books should be. _But at least that price is closer then his._

The two haggled back and forth, with soft coughs added from Heero whenever he thought his Trainer was going to settle for an unfair price. Finally, the clerk conceded defeat and settled for a price that was honest for both him and Armina. They shook hands, the clerk handed over the coins before scooping up the books and then walked back into the cluttered labyrinth behind the desk. 'Mina and Heero left.

"Okay," 'Mina said as she stashed the coins, "Let's go Shopping!"

"Alright, just so long as you don't make me your pack mule."

"Ah, come now, would I really do that to you?"

"In a heart beat."

"Have you so little faith in me?"

"Faith? What faith? Since when have I had any faith in you?"

"Since you asked me to catch you less then two hours ago?"

"Nope, don't recall, you must be hallucinating."

"Or your brain power is really that little."

"Hey!"

"I win! Point to me!" 'Mina exclaimed, pulling out a note pad and making a mark.

"You're _keeping track!_" Heero cried out.

"Yup, 'cause it looks like we're probably going to be arguing like this a great deal, I thought I'd spice things up by keeping score." 'Mina cat-grinned at him before stashing the pad back in her pack.

"You… you're impossible you know that?" Heero said, very nearly at a loss for words.

"Yup, ain't it great?"

"No, it's a total headache."

"Hey, I resent- oh we're at the mall already. Cool." 'Mall' seemed to mild a term to Heero for the massive building that loomed above them.

"Looks to be as big as the Mall of America. I went there once." 'Mina remarked casually

"Oh, was it as big as this?" Heero said weakly, feeling every inch the country bumpkin.

"Bigger actually, they even had a roller-coaster inside."

"Oh"

'Mina finally seemed to notice the weak tone of Heero's voice, "Hey you alright? You want to wait for me out here so you don't have to fight the crowd?"

"huh?"

"You sound kinda over whelmed, if you're like this now… well a big crowd might not be the best thing for you." 'Mina's tone was very worried, that's what shook Heero out of his nerves. He was her Bishonen now, he was supposed to protect her, not the other way around! _Still, that is one damn big building. I thought I'd seen a lot of people already, but how many are in there? More then twice the number that lives in my Village, easily. I- I don't know if I can handle that…But I have to, I have a duty to my Trainer!_

"I can handle it."

"Alright, if you're sure." 'Mina sounded a little doubtful.

"I'm sure, let's go." Hee-kun said, putting on a brave face, braver then what he was really feeling.

* * *

Three hours later found the pair on the road out of the city, supplies fully stocked and plenty of credit left over, let alone money. 'Mina's expression was almost unbearably smug. Still…

"You still doing okay over there? You went white for a time back there."

"Next time we go shopping, I'm hiding in the Bishball okay? No more.. no more…"

"Big, tough Hee-kun afraid of a few Relena's?" 'Mina teased.

"Big, tough Hee-kun hates being glomped by brainless twits." Hee-kun grumbled. A few moments passed, then "So where are we going now?"

"No clue, out and about?" 'Mina replied, "I thought we'd explore a little, since we have this huge world here and no where in particular to go to."

"Sounds like a plan." Heero said. "Shall we?" he added with sideways grin at his Trainer.

"Let's shall." Armina gave a similar grin and headed off down the road away from civilization and the crazy inhabitants therein.

"I hope we don't run into any Relena's or fan girls… I _really_ hate being glomped… And will you quit laughing already!"

* * *

A.N.: Okay, chapter three is up and running... away from me out of fear, I guess. Okay bad joke gomen. It's summer break for this lowly college bum and I'm bored already. Any tips, critiques and other BS will actually be welcomed and valued.  
Heero: because you are that bad of an author.  
A.S.-san: Hey! I'm still new at this, I have to practice!  
Heero: A lot.  
A.S.-san: Oh shut up and get ready for the next chapter. You get to meet your first peer, so you better be ready to share 'Mina's attention.  
Heero: You know, giving plot away is really tacky. And there's no way that I'd ever be forced to 'share' 'Mina-chan, I am her first Bish after all.  
A.S.-san: Do I hear a note of jealousy? Anywho, I really would like to get any constructive criticism, there's only so much I can observe from other authors, I need an outside perspective to help refine my technique-  
Heero: What there is of it.  
A.S.-san: Will you leave already? Well until next time! Hugs, kisses and plushies to all who have reviewed me already. Love you lots!  
Heero: Whoa, I didn't know you normal people could run that fast...  
A.S.-san: wait... come back... 


	4. A New Friend

Disclaimer: I don't own these guys… blah blah… only own 'Mina…yadda yadda… Everyone else belongs to their respective owners…blibity-blah… you wouldn't want 'Mina anyway…Suing me is a waste of time, all my pay-checks are converted into manga and gas almost as soon as I get them… all I own is a three year old laptop and said manga…If you are actually thinking a suing me you are in more need of a life then me; and that's really saying something!

* * *

"You know, for a city girl you sure can walk a lot!" Heero exclaimed in some surprise. It was only the second day on the road and if his calculations were anyway near correct, they were over half way to the next city, which was supposed to be _five_ days away! He had thought 'Mina was going to be a little on the weak side, taking breaks every mile or so. Boy was he wrong! There she was, striding away in front of him; he was the one who had to ask for breaks!

"Well, these chicken legs ought to be good for something." 'Mina remarked over her shoulder, "Besides, I told you I was a college student, right?"

"Right, but what does that have to do with any thing?"

"It has to do with everything! Do you have any idea how big campuses are? I go to a community college and I'm still walking a half mile to get from classroom to classroom! Plus, I mentioned I live out in the boonies, correct?"

"You mentioned that, yes…" Heero answered warily.

"And you know that I'm a nature freak, true?"

"Uh-huh…"

"So what do you think a nature freak like me would do when she has read all her books and manga, there's nothing on TV, and she has dial-up and is downloading something?"

Heero had to digest that long question for a second before he could answer. "Lemme guess, lots of walks, right?"

"Yup, one of my neighbors had a lot of acreage and my dogs absolutely adored going for walks." She sighed, "I miss my pupper-doggies, they would have loved this…"

"Meh" Heero commented

"Ah! Don't you start that again!"

"Start what again?" He asked, making his eyes wide with feigned innocence. 'Mina shook her head. _Innocence my left foot! He's trying to start our game again! _She and Heero had continued their 'arguing' and 'Mina continued to keep track of their points. They were pretty even, which surprised and pleased her. Armina had never been good at battles of wits, she wasn't good at insulting people. But this 'game' she had with Heero was different, they weren't trying to really insult each other, they were just having fun teasing back and forth. For some reason she could do that easily.

She glanced back at Heero, who had fallen silent. He was looking at the scenery at the side of the dirt road they were on with a disinterested gaze. That puzzled her slightly, it was a nice view to either side, with tall grass waving in the gentle breeze, interspersed with small oak groves. The sun was shining, the temperature was lovely, neither too warm nor too cold. Meadow larks were singing their hearts out. _Declaring their territory, but who cares about that._ It was an absolutely beautiful da-

"If you start singing, I swear to God, I will hurt you." Heero dead-panned behind her as they came into the shade of another grove.

"Who said I was going to sing, and why should you care if I do?"

"You're tone-deaf." He pointed out.

"Well, so are you." She returned.

"Er, a point…"

"Ah, good!" She exclaimed as she pulled out her note pad.

"Ack! Not that kind of point!" He cried out as he snatched the pad from her hands.

"Hey! Give that back! It was too that kind of point!" She yelled, leaping at him to get her pad back. How dare he be _one inch_ taller then she! It wasn't fair, she wasn't that short!

It didn't make her feel any better when he had explained that he was an older San, and that there was a certain amount of growth within each stage. Chibi's ranged from the apparent age of four to about ten, San's went from twelve to about seventeen, while Sama's aged between twenty-one to around thirty-five. When the stages had been explained to her by the Prof. she had thought it was like Pokemon evolution. Not so, according to Heero, who had better reason to know. Or at least, not _always_ so, sometimes a Chibi or San would evolve if stressed or threatened, a defense mechanism to give the Bish greater strength to defend his or her self.

_Not that that matters right now, except that Mister Older-San-Heero is bloody taller than me and won't _give me my notepad back!

"Hey, what's that?" Heero said as Armina leapt up again to get her pad. He distracted her for that crucial second that she missed in what had been a perfect jump.

"No fair distracting me! I nearly-" She growled at him.

"No, I'm serious. Look." He pointed into the under brush, where something white could be briefly seen, moving in and out of their line of sight. Armina stopped all attempts to get her pad back, all business now.

"Think we should check it out?" 'Mina trusted Heero's judgment in this, he had already defended her from two _Thing_ attacks. Apparently there were creatures in this world that would attack an unsuspecting traveler. Not that they were any real threat, only Chibi's and the very weakest of San's would have any trouble with the critters. Heero had dispatched them in less then one minute, and had been very annoyed at being forced to deal with such weak interruptions.

"Yes, I think we should. Stay behind me." Heero said, slipping into Soldier mode as he handed the pad back to her. He stalked forward silently, barely disturbing the undergrowth at all. 'Mina followed much more slowly and with less finesse. Not that it mattered too much, the reason she went slowly was to minimize noise, which she did accomplish. Not well, but she did lessen the usual amount of noise.

"It's alright, come here." Heero called. 'Mina dropped all attempts to move quietly and forced her way to where Hee-kun was. He was standing by a large canine whose paw was stuck in a steel-jaw trap. 'Mina winced as she got a good look at the infected wound, it looked very painful. Then she took a better look at the canine and realized just how wrong that label was. That was no dog!

* * *

Heero looked over the canine with a touch of pity from a safe distance as Armina approached. He might not love animals as much as 'Mina did but he still felt a little responsible for his fellow creature. There was not much they could do for the big canine, he was displaying too much aggression for them to get close enough free it from the rusty trap, and even if they did, that wound was too deep to mend on it's own. Letting the beast loose would just be condemning it to death, a slower death then if they left it, since this trap was obviously a forgotten one by it's condition, but death just the same.

He sighed, "Think I should put it out of it's misery?" he asked as 'Mina came up next to him, "the dog's too mean for us to get close." The beast snarled more fiercely as if to prove his point.

"Uh, Heero?" Armina started in a shaky voice.

"Yeah?" He asked, looking up at his Trainer from his crouch.

"That's not a dog, and that's not an it. That's Kiba in his wolf form." 'Mina said, her eyes never leaving the wolf's, who was staring right back at her with a piercing golden gaze. Heero blinked. _Kiba? Wolf form? What's she talking about? _He wondered, and was about to ask when all thought save those of alarm went flying out of his head. Armina, his Trainer, was walking right up to the aggressive beast!

She knelt down next to the huge white wolf, hand partly extended, "Kiba, I'd like to get your paw out of that trap," she said as the wolf snarled at her, baring every single tooth he possessed, "will you let me do that for you, please?" She kept staring at his eyes steadily, barely blinking.

* * *

_If this was a normal wolf, I wouldn't have a face right now_. 'Mina thought as her heart tried to beat it's way out of her chest. Real wolves, and almost all dogs, took a direct stare as a direct challenge. People were different though, a direct stare meant honesty to most minds and 'Mina was trying to prove her honest intentions to a threatened and frightened person. So she didn't dare drop her eyes until she got an answer. And she didn't dare stop praying that Kiba was 'human' enough that he didn't feel challenged but reassured.

Her prayers were answered as he slowly stopped snarling and lowered his nose to her hand and sniffed lightly. A strangled noise behind her told 'Mina how Heero was taking this. Kiba's ears flattened and he resumed snarling at the source of the noise over her shoulder.

"Heero, it's okay, I know what I'm doing." she said without moving an inch. _At least, I think I know what I'm doing, I really hope I do._ Better not say that out loud if she didn't want Heero to have a heart attack. "Will you let us help you?" She asked Kiba again.

Kiba looked at her and stopped all threatening behavior. He stared straight into her eyes then sniffed her hand again. "Okay" came the near whispered reply. Hee-kun made a weird noise again. "_You_ can, I'm not sure I trust _him._" Kiba amended.

"I'm afraid you'll have to accept both of us, 'cause I'm not sure I'm strong enough to open that trap." 'Mina said truthfully, shoulders slumping in relief. "Oi, muscle man, stop choking and get over here!" she called, looking over her shoulder at a very pale and strained looking Heero. He had to make two false starts before he could stand and walk over.

"'Mina-chan, if you ever do anything like that again I swear to all that's holy and unholy, I'll-"

"Oh, do stop threatening me, I doubt I'll ever have the chance to do anything like this again so don't worry." She said as she looked over the trap. Kiba coughed, probably out of mild amusement at the back-and-forth banter. Heero jumped, which caused Kiba to start, which made him jar his still-trapped paw, which caused him to growl.

"I hope you're up to date on your rabies shots onna." Heero grumbled, eyeing Kiba, who eyed him right back.

"Stop acting like Wufei, it doesn't suit you. And stop insulting Kiba." she snapped at her Bishonen, "He doesn't mean it, honest." she added to Kiba, who looked disbelieving. Since Heero was growling something to the effect of 'I do too mean it' 'Mina wasn't surprised. "So, do I press here?" She asked, pointing to a tab on the side of the trap. It was really small, too small for Kiba to press with his big paws.

"Yeah, on three while I get this one." Heero responded, suddenly all business. 'Mina repressed her exasperation. "One, two, three, Push!" 'Mina put all her piddling muscle and weight into the push and was able to pry open the rusted chunk of death-trap. "Hurry Kiba, get your paw out before we loose this!" Heero grunted out. Kiba complied and limped away, watching them closely.

'Mina didn't care what he did, her arms and hands hurt too much as she let the trap go. Heero pointedly ignored them as he pulled up the trap and started to beat the rust off of it.

"What are you doing?" Kiba asked Heero sharply.

Heero kept his back turned, "Getting it cleaned enough so that I can reduce it to it's basic parts." he said shortly. Kiba blinked, obviously surprised.

"Heero is usually a lot nicer then this, he was just worried for me." 'Mina explained to Kiba. He blinked at her as well, clearly trying to assimilate what he knew of Trainers and captured Bish with what he was seeing.

* * *

_How can a Trainer and tame Bish act like this? _Kiba wondered. _Everyone knows that this is slavery and that tamed Bish no longer have a will of their own. But this… this is…I don't understand._

The Trainer, was 'Mina her name? was staring at his paw from the distance that he had put between them. Mean while the Heero was dismantling the trap, muttering under his breath about brainless females and how was he supposed to do his job if his Trainer jumped into danger at every opportunity? 'Mina was pointedly ignoring him in favor of Kiba.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to tend to that paw of yours." She said. Kiba limped farther away; _she wants to catch me!_

"I won't catch you, I swear, ask Heero!" 'Mina said hastily, holding her hands out in reassurance. Heero looked over his shoulder at them.

"She's telling the truth, I had to practically _order_ her to catch me." He said.

"But… _why!_ Why would you want to be enslaved? Why would you-?" Kiba demanded in confused alarm. Heero interrupted.

"Whoa! 'Mina doesn't enslave, and I wanted to travel with her. The only way I could do that safely was to be her captured Bish, 'cause I _really _ don't want to be some _really_ brainless bimbo's Bish. She's brainless enough but at least she can talk sensibl- yip!" Heero cut off his monologue as a dirt clod 'mysteriously' gained the power of flight and aimed at his head.

"Brainless am I?" growled 'Mina.

"Well, if you insist. I didn't hear anyone naming names." Heero said casually, glancing at the dirt clod. Because he was looking away, he missed ducking the next one that hit his shoulder. "Hey!"

"Oh, dear. How'd that happen?" 'Mina asked with mock concern. Heero glared, then lunged.

"How dare you throw _dirt _at me! I'll get you for that!" He cried, chasing after her.

"Well, what was I supposed to do, throw rocks? That wouldn't have done anything to _your _head! Except maybe cause echoes, since it's hollow!" She cried back, managing to keep just ahead of him.

"Hollow? My head? Aren't you referring to your own?" He retorted.

Kiba watched them circle around the clearing they had found him in with shock and surprise. _Maybe she doesn't enslave Bishies, since that Heero doesn't act at all like any slave _I've_ ever heard of… _"Umm… ano…?"

"Eh?" the other two chorused, stopping simultaneously at Kiba's tentative interruption.

"I've decided that I trust you and I would appreciate it if you took care of my paw. I don't have any medical equipment with me though…" Kiba said

"Oh, that's no problem, I have a full kit with me. Let's just get out where I can un-Capsulize the house so that I can get to it and I'll patch you up to the best of my ability." 'Mina stated with a little pride.

"Prepare to have your paw hacked off." Heero said in an undertone with a sly look aimed at his Trainer. 'Mina harrumphed and chucked another dirt clod at Heero. "Hey!"

"Come on Kiba, I'll take good care of you since _you_ appreciate me." 'Mina said, stalking off in a huff. Kiba followed, limping, and ears folded meekly. Heero glared at his Trainer then stomped up behind her and scooped her up.

"Hey, what the heck are you doing? Put me down you Neanderthal!" She yelled as Heero draped her over his shoulder

"Hmm, lemme think about that… Nope. Much more convenient to have you here where you can't throw stuff at me. Plus, having you like this, I can spank you for being foul-mouthed!" Heero said with a triumphant tone.

"Spank _me _for being _foul-mouthed_! Why you little-" #smack# "_HEY!"_

"Now now, what did I just say?"

"$&&!" #smack# "$&!"

"Uh… Should I give you two some privacy?" Kiba asked uneasily. The behavior of those two was starting to embarrass him.

"Huh?" They asked, 'Mina craning her neck up and Heero peering over his shoulder. They looked at each other, blushed, then Heero carefully set 'Mina down. She stood and very carefully did not look at Heero, who was very carefully not looking at her. They then continued walking, only without the high jinxs this time.

Kiba sighed and sweat dropped. _I hope they don't act like this all the time, that would really be embarrassing. I don't know if I could handle being seen with them if they ac- _Kiba stopped in mid-stride and mid-thought, stunned at the direction his mind was going in. _Being seen with them? As if I was traveling with them? What am I thinking, why am I thinking that? I'm just going to have 'Mina doctor my paw, then I'll be off. Besides, if I stayed, they'd find out about my… problem. _Kiba sighed again, only in depression this time, as he resumed following the two out of the grove. The reason he was out on his own was because of his Problem and because of how the people back home had acted about it.

_Nope, I can't go with them, they'll shun me as well._

_Not that I'd mind going with them, but-_

_No, I can't. They'd hate me for my weakness._

_But maybe they wouldn't mind-_

_No. No, I can't, I can't be rejected again._

Kiba's silent argument with himself was interrupted as 'Mina stopped by the clearing next to the road and began digging through her backpack. After a moment of fishing and examining individual capsules, she settled on one. About the size and shape of a horse pill with a button on top, it didn't look like much at all. But after she pushed the button and tossed it, a small, two bedroom house appeared out of a cloud of dust. Kiba blinked (again) in surprise, he'd never seen Capsule houses.

"Ever think about organizing that mess you call a packed backpack?" Heero drawled, sounding bored.

"Organizing? What's that?" 'Mina asked in a faux dumb-blonde voice.

Heero sighed and entered the house. 'Mina followed, holding the door open for Kiba. "Come on in, I need to wash your wound before I bandage it." she said.

"'Kay." the wolf answered, suddenly feeling unaccountably shy. 'Mina smiled kindly and made sure the door latched after Kiba entered. She then went to the sink in the kitchen area while Kiba took stock of the interior. The first room was a kitchen/living room area, with the only border between the two being the line where the tile ended and the kitchen began. The living room half was closest to the door and held a three seat couch, two overstuffed arm chairs, a coffee table and a small TV. The kitchen held a fridge, an oven, a counter microwave and the sink. Leading away from the front room was a hallway, probably leading to a bedroom and bathroom.

Heero was flopped on one of the arm chairs, watching 'Mina through half-lidded eyes and apparently being too lazy to move. Kiba was not deceived at all, he could tell from the tension in his muscles and the aggressive scent coming from the other Bish that if he, Kiba, showed any signs of being dangerous, then Heero would become dangerous as well. _And he may be just a San, but he is a _strong_ San, that much I can tell already. _

"I've been wondering something," Heero said suddenly, "'Mina mentioned 'wolf form' earlier. That means you have another shape, right?"

"Ye-es…" Kiba answered cautiously, "I have a human form as well."

"Why didn't you change shape and get out of that trap by yourself then?" Heero demanded, leaning forward. Kiba ducked his head and looked away to avoid his intense gaze. When he spotted 'Mina standing near the kitchen area with a bowl of hot water with a First Aid kit, he winced. She was staring at him as well, as if she was demanding an answer with her eyes alone

"I've been wondering that myself." She said, confirming his unspoken fear. "How about you trade an explanation for medical care and a dinner?"

"I-" Kiba stood, placed weight on his injured paw, then sat down. "I… it's stupid, really…"

"Why don't you let us be the judge of that?" 'Mina asked as she sat down next to him, gently picked up his paw and started to clean the wound.

"Ah… well… um… I…" Kiba hesitated then plunged in. "I have a problem, I _can't_ shift. Not easily… that is… I don't know why! It's like I'm inhibited or blocked or… something. I dunno…"

"Oh, well, that explains things." 'Mina said, not missing a beat as she continued to clean his wound.

"You- you _don't care?_" Kiba exclaimed, gaping at her in shock.

"Why should we?" Heero drawled from his chair. The wolf swung his head around to gape at him as well. "It's not like it's a medical problem right?"

"Right…"

"Then it's not like your, hmm, inability to turn human has any affect on our lives. It just… is." 'Mina said as she started to carefully wrap Kiba's wound. "If you had had a disease, that'd be different. Or if this problem caused you pain, then we'd care because it would be a real problem and not a difficulty. Am I making any sense?"

"Kinda, yeah." Heero answered, Kiba was too busy staring in disbelief. "What you're saying is that since Kiba's problem is like your 'issue' with higher math, it ain't our problem, unless he wants help, since it's probably mental and not physical. Am I right?"

"Mostly, although I wish you wouldn't tease me about my math problem." 'Mina said, glaring at Heero while she taped down the loose end of the gauze bandage. "You act like I'm the only person who can't memorize the trigonometric equations!"

"But they're so simple!"

"Too you!"

"Uh, guys?" Kiba interrupted carefully.

"Huh?" They chorused; again.

"Th-thank you… for not… not teasing me. About my… uh… problem I mean." Kiba finished shyly, carefully resting his newly cleaned and bandaged paw on the ground. 'Mina and Heero exchanged an opaque glance and Heero shrugged and seemed to relax.

"Like we said," 'Mina said, "since it doesn't cause a problem that we can really do something about, it's not a problem we really care about." Then she grinned impishly, "Besides, I _like_ dogs, and you make a pretty decent substitute."

Kiba laid his ears back and looked _seriously_ offended. "I," he stated with immense dignity, "am _not_ a _dog_."

"Of course not." Heero stated, "You're a mangy wolf." Kiba glared and growled, but did nothing else. He could scent, as well as hear, the playfulness about Heero. It was perfectly clear that the other Bish was trying to lighten Kiba's mood by inviting him into the 'game' that 'Mina and Heero were playing. _He's acting like he's bipolar, but I think I must have passed some test by confessing and that's why he's being nice all of a sudden._

"To uneducated eyes, I suppose the thinness of my coat could be construed as mange." Kiba declared with ponderous, and ridiculous, formality, "But in the interest of furthering knowledge, I will have you know that since we are coming into summer weather, my kind sheds the bulk of our fur for greater comfort during the high heat of that season." Heero choked on a laugh at Kiba's high handed retort while 'Mina rolled her eyes and declare the two of them useless and that _she _was going to do something with a genuine purpose and make dinner.

After dinner, which was a lively affair of continued teasing, boasting and fun-laden banter, 'Mina and Heero both curled up in separate chairs with a book each and read in dim lamplight while Kiba curled up in the blanket-and-pillow bed that the other two had made for him. _I like these people, I could believe that these two were lifelong friends and not Trainer and Bishonen. When they were cleaning up after dinner, it was teamwork. 'Mina washed while Heero dried and put away. And it was clear from what they said that they switched off each time. There is no slavery here, none. This is no act that they are putting on for my benefit, their actions are too natural, too practiced for this to be an act. _

Kiba came to the conclusion that 'Mina was what she said she was, a conscientious Trainer, and that Heero was what _he _said _he _was, a voluntarily captured Bish. Then Kiba reluctantly came to his next conclusion, that 'Mina was not going to catch _him_. _She never will, she just doesn't catch Bish in the traditional way. _He sighed, he was beginning to hope that he could stay with these people, he had had more fun this night then he had had for _years._ _But it's not going to happen, they'll have to go into a city sooner or later and that's too dangerous for an uncaught Bish. I'd only be safe if I was part of 'Mina's party and she won't add to her party unless- _The solution suddenly dawned on Kiba. _'Mina won't add me to her party unless I _ask_ to be added. So why don't I?_

"'Mina?"

"Hmm?" She asked, lowering her book.

"I have a question for you."

"Yeah?" she asked, cocking her head sideways as little.

"Do you want to add a second Bish to your party?" The look on her face, and Heero's, who had been listening as well, would sustain Kiba through the many difficulties that he would come to face working beside them.

* * *

Yeah, Chapter four and now people can stop asking if I died or not! Not that anyone did but... well you know. Speaking of reviews, kinda, I got a MAJOR compliment from Lady Demoonica Darkmoon, she called me original! squeals  
Heero: Please don't do that, my ears are sensitive. And what are you squealing about anyway?  
A.S.: Being called original is a huge thing in the fiction writing industry baka. You don't want to do something everyone else and her mother has already done obviously!  
Heero: And what's so original about a spin-off of someone else's idea again?  
A.S.: uuuhhh...  
Kiba: Oh, give her a break, she is expanding on the idea, isn't she?  
Heero: Oh, fine, take her side why don'tcha?  
Kiba: Of course, since the great author is always right.  
A.S.: #Glomps Kiba#  
Heero: #cough#kiss ass#cough#  
Readers: #sweat drop#  
A.S.: Any way... On to the next chapter!  
Heero: And let it come out sooner then this one... Ack! Don't hit me! 'MI-NA!


	5. Adventures with Authority

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothin' and no one, except 'Mina. Suing me is a waste of time better spent elsewhere. Any character resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely deliberate and pre-decided- hey wait a minute…

* * *

Armina paused at the fork in the road and pulled out her map. It was a good map, with clearly labeled roads and cities. It wasn't helping her much at the moment.

"Can you guys read that?" She asked, pointing at the sign at the fork. Heero came up beside her, peered at the map, peered at the elderly sign then back again. Kiba reared up onto his hind legs and did the exact same thing that Heero had done. Two and a half days of care and rest had done wonders for the once-injured wolf; his paw was now completely healed. The healing power of the Bish Ball hadn't hurt either, even though Kiba declared the thing claustrophobic and therefore evil. His balancing act at the moment only proved how he had completely recovered his health.

None of this was helping the trio in translating the road sign from weathered gibberish into a legible language of course.

"I think it says Llamgib, but llama or MIG is just as likely." Heero said, glaring at the sign. 'Mina turned to Kiba, a little desperately.

"I'm afraid that I'm getting about the same thing from it." Kiba sighed. "Sorry"

"I was afraid you guys were going to say that." 'Mina said. She crouched down and lay the map on the ground. "Okay, Heero and I came from here, Erac, and we took this road, so we should be about here, right?" Heero crouched down next to her on one side while Kiba lay down on the other while they discussed where they should be and where they should go to reach their next destination.

Kiba had fit in with Heero and her rather nicely after he had been caught. There had been none of the fights that 'Mina had been half dreading between him and her first Bish. It turned out that Kiba had an extremely mellow personality, his aggression and wariness before had been a product of his injury_. Plus the fact that I'm a Trainer and he didn't want to be caught at first._ But now that he was caught, his lupine nature had him behaving as a good follower of the pack and he obeyed the pack leader, 'Mina, without question. _Well, not without question, but he is obeying my requests with no argument, which is more then I can say for Heero_.

"So we're agreed, we go left." 'Mina declared after the debate was finished. It hadn't been that hard once Heero had plotted out the path they had taken. Once they started walking again, 'Mina returned to her reflection on how well Kiba had fit in with Heero and herself. He was a good fighter too, although not quite as strong as Heero. They had gotten into two battles, one against a Trainer with a Wufei and a Sosuke, Heero had trounced them both, and against a Trainer with a Gene Starwind and an Aisha Clan-Clan. Gene had fallen to Heero and Aisha had eventually fallen to Kiba after a tougher battle. During both of those battles, Heero and 'Mina had learned something useful, Kiba was able to sniff out strength. He could tell with one whiff whether or not he or Heero was going to win or lose against the opponent and after how tough a battle. An ability that was more then a little useful when setting gambling odds.

"Okay, how is we didn't _hear _the right direction?" Heero asked suddenly as they reached the crest of a hill, and looked down.

"I have no idea, but you have valid point. Kiba?" 'Mina asked after she winced at the sight and sheer _size_ of the crowd before them.

"I'm as baffled as you two, the only thing I can think of is that the wind's blowing the wrong way. I can't smell that _horde_ even now." Kiba responded calmly, save for the '_horde_' part. 'Mina noticed however, that the wolf's ears were flattened. Not that 'Mina could blame him.

"Well, I guess we should go down and see what's up with all those people." 'Mina said, striding forward. Heero and Kiba followed.

"Probably a guard booth."

"Guard booth?" 'Mina asked Kiba, very surprised.

"Yeah, bigger cities usually have them for protection." Kiba answered.

"Protection? Why would they need that?"

"What, you can't expect this world to be free of crime can you?" Heero asked his shocked Trainer. "That's kinda stupid if you think about it."

"Well yes… but the Orientation Professor said… …That was foolish of me wasn't it?" 'Mina confessed sheepishly.

"I'm afraid so." Kiba said softly as he moved closer to her side in a definite guard dog position as the neared the crowd. Heero moved to her other side, his face becoming more serious. Seeing her Bishies' protectiveness, 'Mina felt torn between exasperation and being very touched. The last time someone had looked after like this was her father…

'Mina shook her head free of such thoughts and approached the nearest Trainer, a young man with long, blonde hair tied back in a loose braid, wearing worn-to-shreds clothing. "Pardon me, but would you mind terribly telling me what the heck is going on here?" she asked politely. The young man she asked turned around and both Trainers then gaped in shock for a moment.

"Armina? Is that you?"

"Eugene! Oh my god! I can't believe it! It's so good to see you!"

"How the heck did you get here? How _long _have you been here?"

And other nonsense babbling ensued as the two asked questions too quickly to be answered. Four Bishonen watched in confusion.

"Well, that was unexpected." A Yusuke said, grinning at a miffed looking Heero and a patient looking Kiba.

'Mina looked over at the cocky looking Bish standing next to an equally cocky looking Ranma.

"You have no idea. Eugene, sorry _Virgil,_ disappeared about a month before I moved and I had no idea what happened to him." She turned back to Eu- _Virgil_, grinning, "I guess this explains what happened to ya' huh?"

"Yup, but- you moved? Why? I thought your folks would rather live in a trailer park then leave the Central Coast. And slit their wrists before kick you out for that matter." Virgil asked. A weird expression passed over her face for a brief moment before she beamed at the group.

"It's a long story, I'll tell ya' later. Besides, I guess you could call coming here a big move, couldn't ya'" She said, then before any questions could be asked- "So what's going on here anyway? This is an awfully long line to just get into town.

"Oh that," Ranma answered, "It's a check booth, makin' sure everything's the way it should be. That be no prob' but the guard's a dick."

"Dick and a half you mean." Yusuke added. He turned to the new-comers, "Ran-kun and I did reconnaissance and the idiot's throwin' his weight around and harassin' everyone, 'specially girls, sorry to say."

"Well, that's a pain," 'Mina said, "and _no _Heero, you may not go up there and change the guy's mind for him!" She added sharply, shooting a glare at Heero who had sidled away a little. Heero snapped to attention and glared back at 'Mina.

"What? You can't suspect that I would do something so foolish, can you? I was just shifting, that's all!" He said, the essence of indignation. "Besides, would I do such a thing?"

"Yes, gleefully."

"How could you? I'd never-"

"Bull. And Kiba, don't you go anywhere either!" 'Mina said sharply. Kiba, in the process of stalking into the bushes, jumped and cast a glance full of innocence over his shoulder.

"I wasn't doing anything. I was uh- just going to uh- use the bushes?"

"That had better be it." She growled, then glared at her friend and his Bishies. "What are you guys laughing about?" She asked the cackling Bishies and gaping Trainer.

"How- how did you get you Heero and Kiba to loosen up like that?" Virgil asked. He was Otaku enough that, like 'Mina, he expected a certain kind of attitude out of the Bish. Yusuke and Ranma were just as they were supposed to be, but Heero and Kiba had obviously deviant personalities in comparison to the way they were supposed to be.

"What can I say, all of my friends have issues, present company _not _excluded. Oh the line's moving finally" 'Mina said. The group shifted, then nodded a greeting to a new addition to the line, a Lina accompanying a…. troll? _Maybe not, but that guy certainly looks like he has orc blood, or something. He's huge! And maybe I'm being judgemental but I don't think anybody's home even though the lights are on. _Still, the big, blocky person was obviously the Trainer, since the only other person in evidence was a Clone Lina, a tiny little scrap of a Bishoujo, perched on the giant's shoulder.

"So, how do you like this place so far?" Virgil asked suddenly. That started 'Mina and him on a long conversation about the new world that lasted them to the check booth. There, they both realized just how much of an asshole the guy was. Virgil had a Sasuke as well as a Ranma and Yusuke. But since the Sasuke didn't like crowds, and especially didn't like the Sakura that had accompanied another Trainer farther up in the line, he had hidden in his Bish Ball. Voluntarily. But from the way the guard had acted you would have thought that Virgil had been deliberately torturing the Bish. Sasuke had had to come out and loudly defend his Trainer before they were allowed to move on. Then it was 'Mina's turn.

"Says here you have a Heero and a Kiba." The rat-faced man said in a rather nasally voice as he looked at his hand-held screen. It was attached to 'Mina's Dex by a cord, allowing the individual to view 'Mina's name, Trainer status, her Bish and their status and other supposedly vital details. 'Mina was unsure as to whether or not she wanted this rodent to view her information.

"Yes, I have a Heero and a Kiba." She said in as neutral a tone as possible.

"Humph, where's your Kiba? You ain't inhumanely restrainin' him, are ye'?" The rodent leered.

"I most certainly am not, Kiba is right here." She said, placing a hand on the growling Kiba's head.

"Humph, tha's just an over-sized dog, and unlicensed to boot. I'm gonna hafta write ye' up fer that as well as torturing' your Kiba if ye' don't show him to me."

"She did show him!" Heero growled, just as incensed as Kiba but still capable of speech. Kiba was snarling too hard, and was being restrained by 'Mina, to speak on his own behalf, "Kiba's in his wolf-form you twit! You call yourself an official and you don't know that?"

"Looks like I'm also going to hafta write ye' up for improper trainin'. Your Heero's too uncivil to be allowed to walk around fre- Hey! Get outta there!" The rodent shouted as the Lina with the troll-Trainer grabbed a huge book out of the check booth.

"My, my, would you look at what's here? A book with all the current Bish and their forms." The Lina drawled, her right eye twitching slightly. "Wow, it even has alternate forms that any given Bish may take. It also has Wolf's Rain's Kiba in his human and wolf form." She said, turning the book, "Take a look, the artistry is amazing." There, plain to see for everyone present, was a picture of a black-haired, blue-eyed Bishonen and a white furred, gold-eyed wolf, both under the name of Kiba. The impatient crowd was making it's displeasure at the rodent guard clear. So did Kiba, who slipped out of 'Mina's grasp and body-slammed the idiot, unable to do worse then that thanks to the restraints placed on him.

The ass wasn't about to let 'Mina and Lina off that easily, thanks to that .

"How dare you set your Bish against me!" the insult to cute rats and mice everywhere shrieked, "And how dare you go into my private booth and lay your filthy, lower-class hands on government property!" He grabbed both of the girls by the arms and shook them, making them cry out in hurt and surprise. Heero and Kiba lunged forward, now able to use whatever force necessary to protect their Trainer. They weren't the only ones, Yusuke, Ranma and Sasuke were also advancing to help their Trainer's friend. All that advancement proved unnecessary however.

"Stupid rodent man hurt pretty girls! Uh-Mu smash stupid rodent man!" Bellowed, or perhaps 'roared' would be the better term, the giant troll-like man that Lina was accompanying. He had had a huge club the size of a medium-sized tree trunk strapped to his back and was now applying it with skillful abandon, much to the distress of the rodent check-point guard.

"Whoa, big fella. Stop it!" Lina cried as the rodent let go of her to get the hell out of the way. Getting out of the way sounded good to 'Mina as well, she latched onto Heero and Kiba and dragged them away as the two-footed wrecking ball plowed his way through to get at the idiot-in-office. The pitiful little Check Point Booth became a pile of kindling in the wake of the giant.

"Uh-Mu, you big lummox, stop it now!" Lina yelled again.

"Yeah, stop it, I can't hold on!" came a tinny voice from the rampaging giant's shoulder. _The mini-Lina_, 'Mina realized with a touch of hysteria. The rodent ran for his life over the next hill and out of sight with the giant following while everyone stared in shocked disbelief. Sasuke jogged up to the crest of the hill to watch.

"Oh, shit! They're coming back this way!" Sasuke yelped as he scrambled back towards the crowd. Somehow, by some method that would be debated endlessly at a later point, the guard passed Sasuke and headed straight towards Lina and 'Mina.

"You! You bitches! You set this beast on me!" The idiot screamed as he raced towards the two girls. He came close enough to 'Mina that he reached out to try to strangle her. 'Try' being the key word.

Heero did a jump-spin kick and improved the fool's face by break his nose for him. The obnoxious one collapsed to the ground, blood streaming out his of his crushed nose.

"Nice work Heero." 'Mina said as Lina proceeded to poke the unconscious one with a stick.

"Well, I had to protect my Trainer." He said with pardonable pride.

"Uh-Mu _smash_!"

"Uh, I don't think this is over." Kiba said as the giant charged towards them, still flailing his club. Heero sized up the…man?… carefully before leaping into action. With a charge of his own, Heero gained enough momentum to jump up high enough to deliver a couple of kicks to Uh-Mu's chest, then, as Heero fell, several swift punches to the giant's gut. That caused the giant to hesitate. Heero took advantage of that to crouch and give the blocky chin of the giant a doubled kick. After that Heero flipped out of the way to asses the situation. The giant stood there for a moment, looking puzzled, but otherwise unfazed. Heero started to curse about that when the giant keeled over backwards, knocked unconscious. The _thud_ that came with the fall would have put a Sequoia giant redwood to shame. Heero's _thud_, when he sat suddenly, was far less dramatic

"Is he allowed to do that?" Virgil asked the girls, "I mean, that is a Trainer… right?" 'Mina didn't stick around to answer, but instead rushed to Heero's side to check on him.

"Yes," Kiba answered, "he was protecting his Trainer from a perceived threat, as I would have done if Heero had moved less swiftly. Now, if you'll excuse me." Kiba rushed off after his Trainer to check on his friend.

"Uh, okay?" Ranma asked, scratching the back of his head, then hastily moved out of the way as Lina completed her poking to stalk over to Heero. The three Bish and their Trainer blinked after her, then all but Sasuke started to poke the guard while the Ninja sweat-dropped and hung his head.

Lina, in the mean time, smacked Heero on the back of the head. Hard.

_"Itai! _What in the name of the ancestors was that for!" He demanded sharply.

"That was for kicking my Trainer, which is totally inexcusable, regardless of the fact that you had legitimate cause." She said loudly, "I mean, you just don't go around kicking Trainers unconscious, even though I was about to knock him out myself. It's utterly unheard." the sorceress was starting to warm to her subject. "So you were protecting your own Trainer, you still can't expect me to just let you do whatever you want without doing something about it and-" her grand speech was suddenly blocked out by sirens and, distracted and intrigued by them, Lina wandered off, leaving three dazed people in her wake.

"Does she like to talk or what? Ouch…" Heero asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"She's a Lina alright. Are you okay?" 'Mina said, concerned.

"I think I twisted something, kicking that guy. Are you sure he's a Trainer?" The last was said towards Kiba. The wolf sniffed in the direction of the felled Trainer.

"Not really, no." Was all he got to say before an officer, much nicer looking then the last guy, approached them, asking if she could ask them some questions in a very polite tone. Seeing as they were going to be treated well, 'Mina stood and gave the officer her full attention and cooperation. _Still, this may take a while,_ she thought as the lady-officer started asking about what exactly had started this incident.

* * *

AS: WOOT! I finally got this chapter up! (does happy dance and scares off everyone with sense) umm... guys?  
Heero: You have a talent with scaring people don't you?  
AS: Ummmmm... Not answering that. Oh (Bows deeply) I am so sorry that it took forever to get this chapter up. Between college (trig, bleck!)-  
Heero: Bleck?  
AS: Yes, bleck.- a job, and my own natural distractibility... Let's just say I've been busy. But I've already gotten 1/4 to 1/3 done with chapter six and in it a bit of Armina's past will be shown-  
Kiba: Didn't Heero warn you about revealing plot?  
AS: Oh hush. And not a word out of you! (Points at Heero, who's pretending to be nonchalant)- Oh, and a goal will be found for Armina and her Bish. And then... ohohohohohohoho...  
Heero & Kiba: (hide behind sandbags to get away from creepy author and evil laughter) Anyone want a couple of Bish to use in their fics? Anyone?  
AS: Oh and speaking of other people/authors, I've already had a submission for a guest trainer. I have yet to open the fic up to non-personal friends, but since this person did a good job with stats and all, I'll use him... eventually. When I open the fic up, I'll let you know and I let you know which way to do it. I'm going to be very strict about how people can submit their forms and I won't let anyone in who does not submit the form properly-  
Heero: Which will probably mean you won't be adding anyone at all.  
AS: (glares) Whatever.. So anyway, on to fic writing!  
Heero: #cough#bullshit#cough#  
AS: (smacks him with paper fan then sits at computer to actually type)


	6. Plans and Information

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I have no life, no money and no future. Suing me, therefore, would be a fruitless venture seeing as you cannot deprive someone of what they do not have.

Authors Notes, part 1: Yeah! My first Flame! And from a genuine idiot who hasn't a single frickin' clue about what the hell…(checks flame for gender clues) ah, he? Is talking about! S'mores anyone? Heh, I shoulda mentioned that any and all flames will be pointed and laughed at for their comedic purposes and then used to roast marshmallows. And this first one proves my reasons for doing this perfectly. If this individual bothered to read my fic past the first _paragraph_, he/she/it would realize _why_ Heero has a sense of humor. Twit.

On another note, if this individual had an imagination and a brain, she/he/it would have realized that, due to the pilots age in Gundam Wing, as they age and get over war trauma, the ones without a personality will develop one. Proofs? Heero Yuy in Endless Waltz perhaps, when he uses irony while talking to Duo? I repeat, twit. (goes back to roasting 'mallows and hands extra sticks to friends, most especially to Lady Demoonica Darkmoon for her concern.)

* * *

'Mina fought to stifle a snigger at the way that Virgil and his Bishies were staring at Heero, who was humming smugly, oblivious to the others. He had a right to be smug though. After the incident with the border guard, Uh-Mu's rampage and the resultant questioning, many people had wanted to battle against the Bishonen who was capable of taking down the giant. Heero had been eager to comply after he had been healed of his wrenched ankle in the Bish ball. Six wins and one almost-avoided loss later, 'Mina had loudly and forcefully declared Heero to be too tired to give a good fight. And since Kiba had won four longer fights himself, she had decided to call it a day and actually head into town like she had originally wanted to do, how many hours ago now? 

So, Heero had a right to hum in smug contentment after all he'd accomplished. Still, you didn't expect a _Heero_ of all people to _hum_, regardless of what he'd done. And you especially didn't expect him to hum _that_ song. _Even if _Just Wild Beat_ is an appropriate song for him to hum._ Virgil moved up beside 'Mina.

"What the heck did you _do_ to this guy?" He whispered to 'Mina, "Give him a personality swap with a Duo?" 'Mina burst out laughing, much to Virgil's disgust. Heero, curiosity piqued by the noise, asked what was going on. 'Mina explained between chuckles.

"You're not the first person to ask that," Heero said with a grin, "especially after they met my buddy, Dead-pan Duo."

"Dead-pan Duo?" Chorused Virgil and his three Bishonen, Yusuke-san, Ranma-san and Sasuke-san, plus Lina-san, who had tagged along as well. Her Trainer, Uh-Mu, just growled, which was the only noise he made except for grunts and groans. Unless he became enraged, then he bellowed his infamous battle cry of 'Uh-Mu Smash!'.

Heero's grin broadened. "Yeah, Dead-pan Duo. And he's not the only odd-ball."

"Obviously." Sasuke said. Heero ignored him.

"There was Womanizer Wufei, Talkative Trowa and Conquering Quatre."

"You have got to be kidding me." Virgil stated with clear disbelief.

"This sort of thing isn't as unusual as you may think." Lina said. "Back in my village there was, believe it or not, a Genius Gourry." It was clear from everybody's expression that they didn't believe her. "Now that's more rare, a complete diversion from the base personality, then the usual variation off of the base personality."

"Question sensei," 'Mina said raising her hand, "what's this 'base personality'?"

"The normal personality that you guys say came from the series." Heero answered.

"The usually occurrence," Kiba said, picking up the conversation, "is a variant on the personality from the character of the series." The wolf had everyone's attention now. "A Bish may seem different, but if you pay attention you will notice similarities from the original character."

"So, an example would be this Heero," Virgil said, jerking a thumb at Hee-kun, who looked slightly miffed, "He's got a personality and a sense of humor but still likes to kick people's asses."

"Something like that." Heero said, lowering Virgil's thumb while baring his teeth.

"Me an' Ran-kun too," Yusuke said, " I'm not as anti-social as the series Yusuke an' Ran-kun don't womanize at all." Ranma nodded in complete agreement.

"And Sasuke's not a dick." 'Mina said, "No offense meant Sasuke, but later in the series…"

"No offense taken," The young ninja said with a pained sigh, "Virg already warned me that if I started to become like that, he'd have Yusuke and Ranma thrash me." Heero and Kiba looked puzzled.

"What was that about?" Heero asked 'Mina quietly.

"I'll tell you later." She replied as they finally came into the city proper. She glanced over at her long-time friend that she had been newly reunited with and finally noticed something. "Eugene Virgil Konpa!" named young adult flinched and glanced over at 'Mina in a cringe, while his Bish moved defensively in front of him. "When was the last time you bought some new clothes?" The entire group save 'Mina and Uh-Mu face-faulted.

"What the heck?" Ranma demanded.

"Get us all worked up and that's it!" voiced Yusuke.

"What the heck is wrong with his clothes?" Sasuke growled.

"Yeah, what they said." Virgil that time.

"Men." 'Mina and Lina chorused. The two looked at each other and giggled. All the guys, except Uh-Mu, sweat-dropped.

"Alright, seeing as you don't seem to be able to shop properly for yourself, it looks like I'm going to have to do it for you." 'Mina said firmly, nodding equally firmly. "Wanna back me up, Lina?"

Lina blinked, "I'd.. be glad to." she said slowly, "Sounds like a lot of fun in fact." the red-headed sorceress added with growing enthusiasm.

"Ah, good, I have a feeling one woman is not going to be enough for this group."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up for a sec." Virgil said, darting in between 'Mina and Lina. "Who the hell said you can just waltz up and start picking out my wardrobe for me?"

"We did" 'Mina and Lina chorused again. Virgil barely caught himself from falling while his Bish sweat-dropped and started to look distinctly blue in the face.

"You will be coming, of course." 'Mina said to Virgil. "And what's your problem?" she said to Heero and Kiba, who were both looking rather wane.

"Nothing… nothing at all…." Heero said for both himself and Kiba.

"I'm not finished," Virgil growled, "I absolutely refuse to have you bossing me around and acting like I can't take care of myself!" the last bit was said while he glared defiantly at 'Mina. She just looked at him, looked at his clothes, which appeared to be about ready to fall off at any moment, then looked back at his face. She arched her brow.

"If you don't want people treating you like you can't take care of yourself, then do take care of yourself." She said with sober dignity. She looked over at the trio of Bish that Virgil had and reassessed the state of their clothes. As she had previously noted, they too were badly worn out. "And if you won't take care of yourself, at least take care of them." she said, pointing her chin at the Bish. Virgil just continued to glare, but his posture said he'd conceded defeat.

"I do hate you, you know that right?" he growled.

"Of course," She said loftily. "But the shopping's going to have to wait for tomorrow, it's too late to have any fun now." A very good point, the sun had begun to set. "Know any good places to stay, and good restaurants for that matter?" 'Mina asked Virgil and Lina.

"Yeah, actually." Lina said, "There's a really good hotel with attached restaurant- what's the matter with you two?" the last was directed at Heero and Kiba, who both looked like someone had announced their execution date.

"Are you mad at us for losing those last two fights?" Heero asked 'Mina in a distraught voice.

"What? What the heck are you talking about?" 'Mina said in a startled voice. The rest of the crew, except for Uh-Mu, looked equally baffled.

"But your punishing us" Kiba whined, ears down, tail tucked. Everyone was staring wall-eyed.

"Huh?" 'Mina was completely baffled.

"We're eating out." Heero groaned.

"But isn't that usually a good thing?" Ranma whispered to Yusuke and Sasuke.

"We aren't eating your cooking." Kiba moaned in agony. Ranma, Yusuke and Sasuke all had to scoop their jaws off the floor.

"What!" the other three Bishonen chorused, "Since when is that a bad thing?"

"When one describes Armina's cooking," Kiba explained, "the term 'Ambrosia', the food of the Gods, comes to mind."

"Be that as it may," 'Mina said, brushing aside the complements, "I can't very well cook in a hotel room." Heero and Kiba moaned in agony. "Now come on."

* * *

"So why are we going to the mall to buy your friend clothes when he doesn't want to again?" Heero asked as he stretched, then flopped on one of the two beds in the hotel room that Armina had booked. 

"Because he needs new clothes and forcing him to shop is a good way to tease him." She answered while she put away her stuff in the closet. "And he's not the only one who needs new clothes." she added with a pointed look at Heero, who was currently wearing his best outfit. The jeans were scuffed and wearing out in the knees and, unfortunately, the seat. His tank-top was becoming holey around the hem and his jacket had certainly seen better days.

Heero looked himself over then said the typical male response to such an accusation: "What's wrong with my clothes?" Kiba groaned from his bed of pillows in the corner and hid his face under his paws while 'Mina begged the ceiling for patience.

"They're not that bad… are they?" Heero asked a moment later sheepishly.

"Yes they are." 'Mina assured as she sat on the other bed. "But, changing the subject, what do you guys want to _do_? Long term, I mean." Heero sat up and exchanged glances with Kiba, who had moved his paws, then they both looked back over at their Trainer.

"Well, my long-term goal should be obvious," Kiba said, "I want to figure out how to control my shifting ability so that I can actually become human when I want to." 'Mina nodded and Kiba continued. "I'm probably not going to find out how anytime soon, and it's probably going to be one of those flash-of-insight type things, so this isn't going to be a thing you guys can help with, probably."

"Well, you can count on us helping you if we _can_." Heero said firmly. Kiba bowed his head in thanks and 'Mina gestured for Heero to take up the thread of conversation. "Me, well…" Heero paused and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. His face had taken a fierce, determined expression. "I want to reach Sama stage. I'm going to!"

"Why shouldn't you?" 'Mina asked confused while at the same time Kiba murmured that he'd thought so. 'Mina stared at the wolf. "What do you mean 'you thought so'?"

"Um, well, ah, Heero do you mind if I explain?" Kiba asked the other Bish. Heero waved for him to go ahead. "Er, well it's very, very, _very _hard for Gundam Wing pilots to evolve past San stage. Or some of them at least."

"Me and the other four gundam pilots, Hilde, Dorothy and Relena. We just don't evolve like others do." Heero clarified.

"Why?" that was all 'Mina could think of saying.

"No one knows." Kiba said, "Apparently it used to be flat impossible for the select few to evolve, but LSS-sama and Tokio-sama fixed that. But it's still very hard. Which is why I thought that Heero was aiming for that since he's simply too strong for a raw caught Bish." Heero stared sharply at his fellow.

"And you have experience with this?" He asked.

"I'd rather not discuss this." Kiba said quickly, turning his head away from Heero. The pilot was not about to be shaken off though.

"Are you a Release?" he asked.

"I would rather not discuss this." Kiba growled.

"Heero, leave be. And what's a Release?" 'Mina said, trying to keep the peace.

"Release is just a quick term for a previously caught Bish who's been released for some reason." Heero explained, keeping an eye on Kiba who was still snubbing Heero.

"So if Kiba doesn't want to discuss it, he probably has a reason, so leave it be, Heero." 'Mina said firmly, then changed the subject, "So, you want to reach Sama stage. Any idea as to how you do that except by getting stronger?"

Heero shook his head, "No clue, that's why I was traveling when you fell on me. I was heading to a village that had a Released Trowa who had reached Sama stage." Heero glanced at the ground, looking pensive. "But he had reached Sama while he was captured, so I have as much chance finding the clue out here as by pestering him. He was reputed to be close-mouthed and anti-social, even for a Trowa."

The group was silent for a moment then:

"So what about you, 'Mina?" Heero asked with a forced cheerfulness. "What do you want to do while you're here? You're probably going to head home at some point right?"

"What makes you think that I'm going to head home? I like it here." 'Mina said primly, miffed that Heero would assume to know more about her then he really did.

"But what about your parents?" He asked, genuinely confused. But also trying to narrow in on something he suspected. Something she was hiding…

'Mina's face froze for a heart-beat then she rose. "It's been a long day and we have to get up early-ish tomorrow. I'm going to wash up now."

"'Mina," Heero rose quickly and grabbed her arm. If there was something really wrong, he wanted to help. Instead, 'Mina hissed in sudden pain as Heero's hand clamped around her upper bicep. They both froze, then, quicker than a thought, Heero rolled up 'Mina's sleeve, revealing a dark bruise. Right were the Border Guard had grabbed her earlier that same day.

"Did that jackass give you this?" Heero hissed darkly.

"It's nothing, I'm lucky to have gotten off with only that, in fact." 'Mina said, brushing off the incident.

"That fuck-head hurt you and it's nothing!" Heero roared, "That ass! I let him off too lightly! I'll kill him!"

"The hell you will, and the hell you did!" 'Mina roared back, "A cracked cheek bone and _crushed_ nose and he got off light!"

"Damn straight he did! When I get my hands on him-"

"You'll do no such thing! The only reason _we_ are not in jail right now is because that individual has a past of such harassments, a record of minor assault and had a dead end career. He has no job now, because of this and no hope for one when he gets out of jail. You will leave well enough alone and not land us in jail for something so petty as revenge for a _bruise_!"

"Yeah… right…" Heero growled, obviously plotting just what exactly he would do.

"Heero, I am _ordering you_, you will leave this be. You will not attack some one for _no damned reason_ and that's _final_!" With that, 'Mina spun around, stalked into the bathroom and slammed the door. Heero winced and stared after his Trainer, temper swiftly cooling.

"Next time you feel like blowing up, don't." came a crisp command from the corner.

"What!" Heero barked incredulously, temper rising again.

"Next time you feel like loosing you temper around 'Mina, don't." Kiba repeated and elaborated. "You scared her."

* * *

In the bathroom, 'Mina was shaking. She stood in the shower with her hands braced against the wall, letting the hot water wash over her and tried not to give into hysteria. _God, his eyes,_ she thought, _they kept flashing gold_. She remembered the series, she knew how scary Heero was under when the influence of the Zero System was. _I used to get chills when he was piloting Epyon when I first saw the series. And that was just when it was a cartoon to me._

'Mina had never been good with dealing with people in a temper in the first place. Dealing with Heero in a temper… she had just realized how dangerous, no, _deadly_ he was. Even if his anger had been directed at something else, it still scared the crap out of her.

_But don't lie, not to yourself, that wasn't the only problem now was it?_ Her conscience nagged at her. She leaned her head against the still-cool tile wall and let her hand drift down her abdomen, to just above her hips. To the scars.

The sound of falling water took her back to that day for a moment. Her mind replayed the other sounds, squealing tires, shrieking metal, breaking glass, the sounds that had ruled that day. The day when everything changed. The day her future had been taken. The day that her parents-

'Mina straightened and slapped herself a little. _What am I doing? How can I let myself get depressed like this?_ _ This isn't like me._ She shook off her gloom with an effort and finished washing up. Hadn't she said that they'd be getting up early tomorrow? What was she doing dawdling? She dried herself, slipped on her nightgown and exited the bathroom.

"Next" She called. Heero rose from his bed and walked over slowly.

"Sorry," He mumbled as he passed her.

"It's… okay. Thanks for being concerned for me.." She smiled with an effort. Heero returned the smile shakily then went in the bathroom to wash up. 'Mina went over to her bed, crawled in and turned off the light next to it.

"Are you okay?" A voice ghosted in the partial darkness.

"Yeah," she lied, "yeah, I'm fine." _I as fine as I'll ever be.

* * *

_

A.S.: Bwhahahahaah I am so evil. Foreshadowing is fun!

Heero and Kiba:... You know your readers are going to want to kill you right? You said you were going to give back _story_ not back _hinting_.

A.S. (grin) yeah? So?

Heero: (eye roll)

Kiba: (pained sigh)

A.S. On a totally different note, as some of you may have noticed, I've changed some things in the earlier chapters. This type of thing will probably continue throughout the entire life of the fic. It's impossible to write perfectly, there _will be _grammatical and spelling errors. I print out a copy and edit it but even after two or more times of doing this, there will still be errors that I'll have missed. So bear with and if you note something glaringly obvious, please e-mail me or notify me in some way. Also, the reason I use the # sign for stuff... won't let fic writers use asterisks. It's true, I used it in the first two chapters and it got deleted. Same with the 'at' symble and the upside down v's. So no swirly eye'd faces or cat-grin faces.

Heero: And the readers care about this why?

A.S. Well maybe they don't, but I do and I wanted to explain! So, nyah :P

Heero: ... Real mature.

A.S.: Not really, so until next time! Virgil and Bishonen torture at the mall!

Kiba: May the next chapter come out as quick as this one!

A.S. Yeah! Wha'? Hey wait a sec!


	7. Why'd We Go To The Mall, Again?

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters (except for Armina) but I often pretend to. Bow To Me, the great owner of all fictional characters ever created! Bwahahahahahahahahahaha! Ha

* * *

Armina, Heero and Kiba stopped walking and stared. Up. And up. And up some more.

"Oh. My. Dear. God." 'Mina said slowly, "I didn't think malls came this big."

"Oh really?" Heero squeaked. Yes squeaked. He had a reason to. Most malls come in two to three stories, with the occasional five-story mall in mega-metropolis areas. This mall towered up twenty stories. Maybe. Kiba got dizzy with the implications after he counted fifteen stories, and the thing kept rising.

"I don't want to think about the number of people in that thing." He growled, noticing that Heero became distinctly pale after he said that. The wolf couldn't help but feel a little sorry for his fellow Bish, but he was still glad for the distraction. Nerves had been distinctly tight that morning. Heero felt bad for upsetting 'Mina the night before, and 'Mina felt bad for actually giving Heero an order, as if he were a slave. She had apologized for that over breakfast, but if anything it had made Heero even more upset. He had confessed that he'd been irrational that evening and that 'Mina had had a right to order him to be sensible, but 'Mina argued that nobody had a right to order anyone around unless they were in the military or something. _And so on and so forth they argued,_ Kiba thought. So yes, the towering shrine to yen coins and credit cards was a very welcome distraction.

"Oh sweet Baby Jesus, Mother Mary and Joseph, is that thing huge!" Came a familiar voice behind them.

"Hey Virg." 'Mina said as the first three turned to greet the new four. Yusuke and Ranma were gaping in shock while Sasuke looked like he wanted to hide in his Bish-ball. Virgil wasn't looking too brave himself.

"You're making me go in there _why_ again?" The other Trainer asked. 'Mina and her Bish looked Virgil over. It was clear he was wearing his best clothes, or better then yesterday's at least. Kiba had a feeling that 'Mina would only use clothes that tattered for grubby chores.

"She's making you go in there so she won't be disgraced to be seen with you." Came another familiar voice.

"Hey Lina." 'Mina said to the only other female that was taking the crowd of seven males shopping. "Alright, the gang's all here."

"Yeah, unfortunately." Said Virgil. He was ignored.

"So what's the plan again?" Ranma groaned.

"It's currently eleven o'clock. We scout the place until twelve, have lunch, then spend the rest of the day making sure that you four don't wear the same outfit twice in one week." Lina said, rubbing her hands and chuckling manically.

"Okay, it's official," Yusuke said, "We are so doomed." 'Mina and Lina exchanged glances and conspiratorial grins.

"And why are we the only ones being tortured with clothes." Sasuke asked cynically.

"Oh, don't worry, you're not. Heero's getting a new wardrobe as well. Muhuhuhuhuh." 'Mina chuckled evilly while Heero groaned.

"And they also have pet shops with dog clothes!" Lina added helpfully. Kiba aimed a glare at her, then aimed another at 'Mina.

"If you dress me in Fu-Fu clothes, I swear I don't care if you _are _my Trainer, I _will _bite you." Kiba growled warningly, then stalked towards the entrance.

"Black leather bicker jackets." Lina said in an undertone. Kiba froze with one paw still elevated.

"Kiba!" Heero cried, "Kiba, don't! Don't consider it!"

"Kiba, don't go there! Don't go to the Dark Side!" Ranma and Yusuke cried in unison.

"Well," Kiba said in a reflective tone, ignoring the other Bishonen, "it's not going to be summer forever and fur doesn't keep the rain off. I might need to get a jacket, for winter of course."

"Of course," 'Mina said, grinning

"Noooooo!" Ranma, Yusuke and Heero cried.

* * *

The mall had been scouted, lunch had been eaten and the clothing quota had actually been met, much to the shock of the entire group, sans Uh-Mu. Now they were shopping for fun, although Virgil would die before admitting that shopping could be fun. They were heading back to a female clothing store for Mina and Lina when 'Mina suddenly realized that she was walking with only Kiba and Uh-Mu. She turned around and saw Heero, Lina, Ranma, Sasuke, Virgil and Yusuke all staring in a window and drooling.

"Uh, guys? We were still heading this way, weren't we?" 'Mina asked. There was no response. She exchanged glances with Kiba and walked back. "Uh guys?" Still no response. She walked up to Heero. "Heero, we were walking…?"

"Look 'Mina! Sharp, pointy objects! Sharp, pointy, _shiny_ objects!" Heero said pointing in the window. There was a multitude of knives, short swords and other weapons of destruction displayed behind the huge window.

"Yes, knives, great. We were going?" 'Mina said, again. That's when Heero used a dirty tactic. He gave 'Mina the Sad Puppy Face. Heero had a very, very good Sad Puppy Face, probably because you didn't expect a Heero to use a Sad Puppy Face.

"Can I get one? Please?" He whimpered. 'Mina face-faulted and sweat-dropped. Heero pressed his advantage. "Please? Please, please, please, puh-lease?" 'Mina's sweat-drop grew.

"Okay, fine." 'Mina said, giving in, "You stay here and pick out whatever you want. You deserve a present anyway for all the work you did yesterday. I'm going to grab Lina and get some clothes for me an' her. I'll be back." Grabbing Lina, however, was easier said then done. Lina liked sharp, pointy objects as well, the sharper and pointier the better. It took all of 'Mina's wheedling to convince Lina that the pointy objects were still going to be there when the clothes had been bought and that she could come back _later! _Virgil and his Bishonen had been oblivious to all of this, they had been too busy drooling over a Muramasa sword.

* * *

"I really think you should get this mauve dress. It is so you!" The Nuriko sales 'wo'man squealed. 'Mina gagged and Lina sweat dropped.

"I said this before, No. Dresses!" 'Mina growled, " 'No dresses' _means_ _NO DRESSES!_"

"And most especially no_ pink!_" Lina growled. Nuriko frowned in disapproval.

"It's not pink, it's mauve." The transgender sales person brightened suddenly. "But if you want pink we have this lovely-"

"AAARRRGGGG!" Lina said. 'Mina agreed.

"'Riko, leave the people be, they obviously don't appreciate your help." The Trainer behind the sales desk said wearily. Nuriko pouted with a vengeance and rushed up to the woman who was obviously 'her' Trainer.

"But! Butbutbutbutbut!"

'Mina rubbed her aching head and looked down to a half bored, half terrified Kiba who was looking back up at her, whinning.

"Kiba, could you do me a favor?" She asked.

"If it involves leaving this scary place, yes defiantly." He replied.

"It does. Could you go and tell Heero that Lina and I will be a while yet. I don't want him to worry."

"You actually think that _he's_ thinking about anything but sharp, pointy, shiny objects and that you're going to buy him one?"

"I can dream, can't I? Could you deliver the message in his general vicinity and hope that he actually notices that you're there and that you were talking to him, at least?"

"Can do, will do, leaving now." Kiba said and trotted off quickly, tail flagged.

"Thanks" 'Mina said to his retreating back, wishing that she could do the same as Nuriko came back with reinforcements in the shape of Usagi, both bearing pink dresses. _I just had to decide that I needed clothes too, didn't I? What the hell was I thinking, I hate clothes' shopping for me!

* * *

_

Kiba, in the mean time, was very happy to have left that scary place. He had actually enjoyed all of the proceedings, being in wolf shape meant he didn't need clothes the way the others did, so he hadn't been tortured with the rest. Helping to jam a shirt on a struggling, cursing Yusuke/Sasuke/Ranma and/or Virgil had been vastly amusing. _Heero is too well 'trained' at this point to actually argue with 'Mina, but that doesn't mean he can't complain with the best of them. _Kiba thought with a lupine smirk. _Still, I shouldn't get too smug, I don't know how 'enthusiastic' 'Mina and Lina will get when it's my turn to get my jacket. Revenge on the parts of the others could be quite… entertaining. For them._

Kiba shook vigorously to clear his mind and entered the weapons' shop that he'd quickly reached. Heero was currently drooling over a belt full of small, wicked-looking, throwing knives.

"Heero, 'Mina asked me to tel- are you listening?" No response, "Heero?" silence, "Earth calling Heero, come in Heero." Nothing, "Heero, last warning, going out to Heero, I will bite you, you've been warned." Zilch.

# _CHOMP!_ #

"_ITAI!_" Heero finally responded. Kiba looked up at the prancing Heero in exasperation, his mouth full of fabric torn from the seat of Heero's pants. Through all of this, Virgil and his Bishonen remained oblivious, still drooling over the Muramasa sword.

"Kiba! What the hell was that for?" Heero said, his hands still holding his stinging rump. Kiba discreetly spat out what had been part of Heero's pants.

"I've been here for the last two minutes trying to get your attention. I warned you I would bite you if you didn't respond." Kiba said in total monotone.

"He did warn you properly." Said the man behind the sales desk. Heero transferred his Glare-O'-Death ™ to the sales clerk, who ducked.

"grrr… Well what do you want?"

"'Mina told me to tell you that, due to,_ very,_ scary sales associates, she'll be a little later then she thought she'd be. She didn't want to you to worry, although I told her you'd still be in LaLa Land over your sharp pointy objects." Kiba relayed, "I was right."

"Rrrrr" Heero growled again. Then he checked the watch that 'Mina had bought for him earlier in the day. "I think we'd better fetch her."

"I think you'd better change your pants." Kiba said, "You're attracting attention."

"And who's fault is tha- uh-oh." Heero's Relena-dar (Relena-sensing-radar) suddenly kicked into high gear and just in time. Heero was standing just outside the Weapons' shop doorway (he and Kiba had moved a little as they had talked) facing the opposite side of the mall hall. From either side of the hall came two Relena's, their Heero-dar (Heero-sensing-radar) narrowing in on the position of a Heero in a compromising situation (i.e. having a hole in the seat of his pants). Heero didn't waste any time, with a yelp he bolted. Three more Relena's joined in the chase before Heero left Kiba's sight, crying 'Heeeeeeeeeee-rooooooooooo' all the way. Kiba was flopped on his side at this point, laughing so hard he nearly choked a couple of time.

"I guess I- #snigger# -I better tell- #chortle# -better tell 'Mina that- #giggle# -that Heero's going to be delayed." Kiba said to himself after he regained _some _of his composer. He got up and checked the traffic for a clear path.

"Jean-Claude." Came a childish voice directly behind him, causing him to jump. Behind him was a young Bishoujo with overly poofy curls in a cutsy dress making does-eyes at him. "Jean-Claude, soooo cute! Come with Azusa now, Jean-Claude."

Kiba inched away from the increasingly scary Bishoujo, "My name is Kiba and I need to go to my Trainer now. I'm sure your Trainer is looking for you, so why don't you- ack!" The Bishoujo had lunged and placed a strangle hold- er- hug around Kiba's neck.

"Jean-Claude belongs to Azusa now!" She squealed, "Come along now Jean-Claude!"

"My name is- #gasp# -Kiba and I- #choke# -am going to my- #strangle# -Trainer now! Leggo!" Kiba wriggled out of Azusa's grip with a yip and a growl, and tore off in the opposite direction Heero had taken earlier, Azusa in hot pursuit, calling for her Jean-Claude. Before Kiba was completely out of sight, the store clerk noticed two more Azusa's had joined in the hunt. Virgil and his Bishonen were still oblivious to their surroundings. Until….

"Ranma Satome, you _Baka!_"

"Sasuke-Kun! #squeal#."

"No! Sasuke-kun's _mine_, Forehead-girl!"

"Yusuke-no-_baka!_"

* * *

"So how much will that be?" 'Mina asked the sales clerk politely, pointedly ignoring the three sobbing Bish standing next to their Trainer. Unable to bully 'Mina into doing their will, Nuriko and Usagi had recruited Dorothy to their effort. That would have worked had Dorothy not been convinced that gold, not pink, was the best color of all. The three had fallen to infighting, the strong-willed Dorothy holding her own well against the equally strong-willed Nuriko who was handy-capped by the vapor-brained Usagi. Lina had nearly solved the problem of all the noise with a Dragon-Slave when the sales clerk/Trainer had threatened to never bring them, her Bish, to the mall with her ever again if the three didn't _shut the hell up_!

So yeah, 'Mina liked the sales clerk and was very willing to be polite to her.

"Here's your receipt. I hope to see you again. Have a nice day!" the clerk said with a bow. And bonked her head on the desk as she did.

"Do you have a Blue Seed Momiji as well?" Lina asked, sweat dropping with the rest in the store. She'd already bought her clothes and was putting them away in a Capsule Wardrobe.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" the clerk asked, rubbing her forehead.

"Call it a hunch." 'Mina said as she mimicked Lina by stowing her clothes away. "Let's hurry up and get to that weapons' shop." She then said to Lina, "Kiba hasn't come back yet and I'm getting this bad feeling…"

"Kiba's probably just staying with Heero so he doesn't have to come back here and you're probably just hungry." Lina said.

"Aren't you the one who's always hungry?"

"Well, duh. Girl's gotta eat, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, but only two hours after lunch?"

"_Two hours_?" Lina gasped, "I'm over-due! Hurry, we gotta get the others and get food before I waste away!" 'Mina staggered on her way to the entrance and sweat-dropped heavily.

"You'll be fine, I swea- what's that noise?" A low rumble could be heard over the constant noise of a crowd that was heard in any busy mall.

"Dunno, but it's getting louder." Lina was right, the noise was getting louder. And more noticeable as well as people in the crowd hushed to listen as they noticed the rumble. Finally a disturbance was noticed at the far end of the hallway. It came closer and voices could be heard. Distant 'HEEEEEE-RRROOOOOO's' and shrill 'JEAN-CLAAAUUUDE's' emanated from the disturbance.

"Uh-oh." 'Mina said.

"You know that bad feeling you mentioned earlier?" Lina commented.

"You got it too now?"

"Uh-huh." The disturbance came closer still and more quickly. The two girls could finally see what it was, a vast herd of two different types of Bishoujo. In front, two little figures could be seen. They spotted 'Mina at the same time she spotted them.

"'MINA!" Heero and Kiba cried out in unison. "Save Us!"

'Mina's eyes bugged out as her mind raced. How could she save her two Bish from the herd of Relena's and Azusa's without getting killed herself? She hastily reached into her pocket and pulled out her two used Bish Balls. She raised them, one ball to a hand.

"Return!" Heero and Kiba ( who were only a few yards away by this point) leapt up and vanished into their respective ball's in mid-air. The problem of saving her Bishonen was now solved.

But 'Mina had a new problem now, how to save herself from the irate Bishoujo! The herd was still charging forward, but the hearts and stars that had been in the girls eyes were replaced by angry flames. 'Mina backpedaled hastily away from the rapidly advancing herd, and ran into Uh-Mu. Lina could almost see the light bulb switch on over her friend's head.

"Uh-Mu! Save me!" 'Mina cried out. Uh-Mu looked down at the frightened girl beside him, then out at the raving herd of girls, then gently scooped up the girl, and Lina, and placed them both on his shoulder with the oft-forgotten Mini-Lina. The raging herd still advanced, up to a yard away from the giant. When they got within that yard, Uh-Mu leaned over, glared, and went "rrRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrr!"

The herd of Azusa's and Relena's stopped, mid-stride and mid-cry. Silence reigned for a good twenty seconds, then:

"WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! SCARY!" The Relena's and Azusa's turned tail and ran. Right over the Trainers that had been attempting to retrieve their respective Bishoujo's.

"Well, that takes care of that!" Lina chortled.

"Yeah, it does, but now I'm worried about Virgil." 'Mina said, "Thanks Uh-Mu, you saved me!" She then said, hugging Uh-Mu's giant, grotesque head. The giant grinned stupidly and chuckled slightly at the praise.

"Yeah, you did good, big guy." Lina said, patting Uh-Mu on top of his head (even though she was on his shoulder, she still had to stretch to accomplish the maneuver), "But why are you worried about Virgil?" she then asked 'Mina.

"Lina, who are his Bishonen?" 'Mina asked back. Lina's eyes widened in sudden understanding.

"Oh"

"Right, I think we should find him pronto."

"Okay. Uh-Mu! To the weapons store!" Lina order her 'Trainer'. The giant lumbered off. "No, not that way! To the left! No, your other left! Baka!"

* * *

When 'Mina and Lina finally got to the weapons' store it was empty of all customers and the sales clerk was still hiding behind sandbags, wearing his flack jacket and pith helmet.

"Uh, 'scuse me?" Lina asked hesitantly. A pair of eyes peeked out over the sandbags and under the helmet.

"Can I help you?" came a tinny, frightened voice.

"Yeah. You can set me down now Uh-Mu." 'Mina said. Uh-Mu lowered the arm upon who's shoulder 'Mina sat. 'Mina slid down carefully and approached the sales desk. The eyes peeked out a little more. "There was a Trainer with three Bishonen, a Ranma, a Yusuke and a Sasuke, in here earlier. Would you happen to know which direction they went in?"

"Out, followed by more scary women then I care to contemplate. I thought the Azusa's were bad…" the eyes shuddered and sank a bit more. The ball that held Kiba shuddered as well at the sound of Azusa's name ('Mina had finally given in and got a Bish Belt).

"In which direction, out?" Lina asked, sliding down Uh-Mu's other arm.

"In both directions," The eyes said, "The Trainer was able to Ball two of his Bish, but not the third and they were chased in opposite directions. I think the loose Bish was the Ranma, but I had Ducked 'n' Covered by that time so I didn't see."

"Alrighty," 'Mina sighed, "thank you, you actually have been a help." She said, trying to put as much sincerity as she could in her voice. The eyes mumbled something then sank back out of sight. 'Mina turned to Lina. "Let's split up, you and Uh-Mu go north and I'll go south."

"I agree with splitting up, but I think you should take Uh-Mu, I can take care of myself."

"With massive amounts of property damage involved." 'Mina pointed out, causing Lina to wince, "No, I'll be fine. If anything happens, I'll scream 'Pervert!' and get rescued by all the Bishoujo in the vicinity."

"Heh, that's actually a good plan. You'll get all the hero, not Heero, types of Bishonen to rescue you as well."

"and what makes you think I wouldn't save her as well." A tinny voice growled out of Heero's Bish Ball. Lina and 'Mina blinked at each other then stared down at the Ball on 'Mina's belt.

"You heard all that?" the two girls chorused. There was a pause, then:

"You heard me!"

"They can hear us out there?" 'Mina hastily grabbed the two Bish Balls and let her boys out. Heero stretched and Kiba shook with much enthusiasm, then stared at the two girls.

"So, not only can we hear you when we're in the Ball's (gods that sounds wrong) but you can hear us? Am I right on this?" Heero said.

"That's about accurate (and I agree the Ball's sounds wrong). I had no idea you could hear surrounding conversations when you were in there." Lina said.

"You didn't?" 'Mina asked, "But haven't you…"

"I haven't been in a Bish Ball since I was captured to be given to Uh-Mu." Lina said.

"Given?" Kiba asked, "No, wait, never mind, stupid question."

"Indeed. Now, I think we should be going, Virgil's going to need rescuing." 'Mina said firmly. Then she held up a the Bish Ball's (there's got to be a better name). "You guys wanna hide or are you okay?" Kiba and Heero exchanged glances.

"If that- that freakish female shows up again I'm hiding-"

"Ditto if there's a Relena."

"-but until then we're fine."

"Okay, then shall we go?" 'Mina said. She then looked at Heero as he preceded her out of the shop. "Heero, what happened to your pants!"

# Thirty Minutes Later #

"Ano… can we sit for a bit now?" Heero said, unable to keep the whine from his voice.

"Yeah, can we? Please?" Begged Kiba, also unable to keep from whining.

"Sounds like a good idea to me." 'Mina said, flopping down on a bench in the middle of the mall hall. Heero flopped down next to her on one side while Kiba jumped up to lay down on the other side, putting his head in her lap begging for scritches. Since 'Mina was well trained from having pets literally all her life, she absently complied with the silent begging.

"I had no idea it would be this hard to find one guy that's probably being chased by over a hundred psycho females." She said tiredly. Heero 'hnn'd' beside her, staring out at the passing crowd with half-glazed eyes. Just then a Kenshin, a Tasuki and a Kurama ran in front of them as if their lives depended on it, being chased by a short-haired, slightly over-weight girl. The girl was squealing "Red-Heads!" and was being chased in turn by two irate Trainers who were being trailed after by a Hiei, a Chichiri, a Sanosuke and a Heero, the latter three calling "Anya, wait up! (no da)" while the former was calling "Kimiko, let 'em fend for themselves". Hee-kun, 'Mina and Kiba all stared and blinked.

"Umm…" Heero said as the small crowd raced past. Then, coming from the other direction…

"Illampazo-sama!" screamed an Excell in hot pursuit of a panicked-looking Bishonen that seemed to be trying to keep his dignity in spite of everything. Trailing after him were two Trainers, male and female.

"Get your ill-trained freak of a Bishoujo away from my Illampazo!" the female yelled at the male.

"I'm trying! Honestly!" the exasperated-looking male Trainer yelled back. Behind _them _were two other Bishonen.

"We could have had a normal Trainer! We could even be free right now! But noooo, you had to be such a stupid idiot-" one of the Bish said.

"But! Brother!" the other said back. Then they too ran out of sight.

"Errr…." Kiba said. It wasn't over yet.

"EARS!" came a too-happy, shrill cry from the first direction. A Youko Kurama, a Legolas, a Shippou, an Inuyasha, a Piccolo, and a Shin were being pursued by a psyco blonde. Pointy or dog-like ears seemed to be the object of her obsession. 'Mina calmly placed her hands over a nervous Kiba's ears to hide them as the crazy girl passed by. Then came the Trainers.

"Get away from my Inuyasha and Shippo-chan you freak!" Screamed the girl being trailed by a Miroku.

"Get away from _my _Legolas, Piccolo and Shin!" Screamed the other girl.

"Huh," 'Mina said after the latest group passed, "I wonder if that Youko Kurama is free." She removed her hands from Kiba's ears. "He's even hotter then I thought he'd be." Heero and Kiba looked at her. "What?"

"_DEE_!" The trio swung their heads around to the second direction at the new cry.

"DEE, My Love!" Coming from that direction came a single Bishonen, who was sobbing, being chased by two Trainers who were trailed by a second Bishonen.

"No! Dee is _my_ love!" the second Trainer yelled at the first, "He is my Dee, my own personal Dee, therefore he is my love! Not yours!"

"Why me!" Sobbed the pursued Dee.

"That's my question." Said the trailing Bish, a bedraggled looking-Valgavv.

"Why! Ryo! Save me, Ryo!" Dee yelled as he ran out of sight.

"Not here, don't know him, not here." came a chant from the other side of the bench. The trio blinked at each other, then looked over the other side to the hiding Bish.

"Hello, ah, _Randy._" 'Mina said, using Ryo's other name.

"Uh, hi. Thank you for your discretion." The Bish said from were he was cowering beneath the bench.

"I swear, if I gotta put up with-" a new voice said. Ryo-Randy brightened at the sound. The trio looked up to see a new Trainer. "Ryo, get your butt over here. We're leaving. And yes, you can hide." she answered the question that Ryo had been just about to ask. The Bish snapped his mouth shut and dove into his Bish Ball. "Come on guys." the new Trainer said, jerk on her Ryoga's leash. _That's a good idea, even if he looks like he's in pain from his dying dignity. _"No Ryu, you may not get another bokken, and Kanryu, stop complaining about the money I spent. I have enough fraying my nerves without you complaining, what with all the pursuits. And that horde-"

"Pardon me, but could you describe 'that horde', please?" 'Mina asked suddenly.

"Eh, sure but why?" The stranger Trainer said, surprised.

"I'm looking for a friend and his Bish are a Ranma, Sasuke and Yusuke." 'Mina answered.

"That's him in that horde then, 'cause it's all Ranmaverse™ fiancés, Keiko's, Sakura's and Ino's. They chased him up a pillar last I saw."

"We spend a half hour looking all over for him in vain, then we sit for five minutes and we find him." Heero grumbled.

"Life's funny that way," 'Mina agreed, "Could you point us in the direction, please?" She asked.

"Sure, down that way to the inner plaza." The Kanryu said pointing

"Arigato! Come on guys!"

"Good luck!" The Wooden-sword Ryu called.

* * *

Being told that Virgil had been chased up a pillar had given 'Mina a rough estimate as to the horde's size, for Virgil was no coward to be frightened by a few girls. 'Mina's guess was off, she had underestimated the intensity of the Bish-World's craziness. She stared in shock at the vast sea of females, disbelieving. It wasn't just the sheer size of the crowd, but also the Bishoujo's in it. All of Ranma's fiancés were there, plus a few extra's, which didn't surprise 'Mina _too _much, know the Ranmaverse's™ insanity as she did. Kiba whined and tried to hide behind 'Mina's legs upon spying an Azusa.

But the Bishoujo that surprised 'Mina with their presence were the Botan's and Yukina's from Yu Yu Hakusho, and the Temari's and TenTen's from Naruto. The single Hinata, fighting fiercely with a Sakura and Ino, was a bigger shock.

"Ah, ah, uhmm…." 'Mina whimpered.

"It's okay 'Mina, we don't have to wade in there." Heero said, rubbing her shoulder. _Please don't make us wade in there, of please, gods, I don't want to do that, please!_ Heero thought with desperation.

"Pretty Girls Being Hurt! Uh-Mu _SMASH!_"

"Well, that solves that problem." Kiba observed. The scene was thus; there was a large, decorative inner plaza, with three of the floors above the one they were presently on opening up to show a decorative lighting structure on the closed fourth floor. The three open floors had consecutively smaller openings, so that the third floor's opening was half the size of the first one's, with each balconied opening being supported by functional/decorative pillars. Virgil had clambered to the top of one leading to the second open floor. In spite of all the pillars, the plaza was very open, with a lot of floor space. This was a very good thing as Uh-Mu went on his rampage, complete with a flailing club.

Considering the conditions of Uh-Mu's previous rampage, Armina hadn't gotten a good look at the giant's club. She had a good view now. Uh-Mu's club was an eight-foot long, metal-wrapped log roughly the width of a telephone pole. The hand grip was thinner then the business end, and the business end was adorned with spikes. Three rows of foot long spikes to be exact, four to a row. At the end was a two foot long spike. These spikes were currently decorated with shredded skirts, shirts and a single bra. How these things weren't blood covered 'Mina didn't know and didn't want to contemplate.

But the flailing club and bellows of "Um-Mu Smash!" did the job. The sea of femininity cleared with astonishing speed. Once the crowd cleared, 'Mina jogged up to the base of the pillar, Kiba and Heero in tow. Virgil slid down and collapsed at the base.

"Are you okay Virg?" 'Mina asked in concern.

"C4," came a soft murmur from the bowed head.

"Eh?" 'Mina asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Grenade lauchers.. Bazookas… Where's an Army Surplus?" Virgil said, head shooting up, "I need an M1-A1 tank and an Anti-Aircraft missile launcher! I'm going to blow up this mall and no one can stop me! BWA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH!"

"Oh, crap, he's lost it." Kiba muttered.

"Nah, he's always like this after something unpleasant happens." 'Mina said as she riffled through her backpack, "Ah-ha, I thought I put this there." She pulled something out of her backpack and smacked Virgil in the head with it. "Better?" she asked her friend.

"Uh, thanks, I needed that." Virgil said, rubbing his head idly. "When did you get the tessen?" he asked, glaring at the large, thick paper fan.

"When I was shopping with Lina earlier, I had a feeling I'd need it." It could be noticed that Heero and Kiba edged away from their Trainer after she said that.

"On a different note," Lina said, walking towards the rest, "can we get the hell out of here now!"

"Good idea." 'Mina said.

"I've had enough of shopping to last me, oh, the rest of the decade and then some." Virgil griped.

"Hear, hear" Heero and Kiba chorused.

"Okay." Lina said with a shrug.

# Outside the Mall's Main Entrance #

"'Mina, if you never drag me in a mall ever again, it'll be too soon." Virgil said, glaring at the non-contrite 'Mina.

"That was the most traumatizing thing I've ever gone through." Yusuke said in a shaky voice.

"Really, Sasuke's still twitching." Ranma said, pointing to Sasuke who had a death-grip on Virgil's arm ('will you get off already?' 'nuh-uh')

"How come you're _not_?" Yusuke asked Ranma accusingly. Ranma just stared at his best friend. "Uh, right, stupid question." All through this, Heero was mumbling and hemming under his breath.

"Oh! Shoot!" He said suddenly. "Uh, you can calm down now." He said to Virgil and his Bish, all of whom had jumped and were now staring at Heero, gasping in panic.

"What is it Heero?" 'Mina asked, ignoring her old friend's antics.

"You never got me my present!" Heero said, "You promised you'd buy me sharp, pointy objects."

"_A_ sharp, pointy object, and your right, I did promise."

"You promised I could get whatever I wanted and I want a belt of throwing knives." Heero said, getting ready to sulk.

"Alright, alright, I'll get that for yo-"

"Ah!" Kiba said suddenly. Virgil began to threaten the lives of both Sasuke and Yusuke, who were cutting off the circulation to his arms.

"Jumpy much?" Lina asked him as his language got creative.

"What is it Kiba?" 'Mina asked her other Bish.

"I never got my jacket! I'm going to need that when the rains start!"

"Wait! I never hit a book store!" 'Mina cried out, "I can't enter a shopping center without hitting at least one book store, it's just not right!" she looked at her two Bish and ignored all the other weird looks she was getting. "We're going to have to go back in, we cannot leave these problems unsolved!" Her Bish nodded firmly and they turned as one to face the mall again. Everyone else including the Mini-Lina, but excluding Uh-Mu, became one with the floor, twitching.

* * *

A.S. Erm, aheh? I said something about getting this chapter out early before didn't I? Uh, oops? 

Heero: Baka onna! Don't make promises you can't keep and then go 'oops' about it!

Kiba: Regretfully I must agree with Heero.

A.S. # stands in a corner surrounded by The Aura of Gloom ™ #

Heero & Kiba: ...

A.S. Okay, done with that. This is my longest chapter yet! Surely that must make up for it's lateness, right?

Heero: Sure, live that dream.

A.S. Ah, come on! It's 29 pages long! (1.5 space, size 12 font on XP Word)

Heero: And all your chapters should be that long, now shouldn't they?

A.S. # Mega Glare 'o Death ™ # # Reaches for tessen and meat tenderizer with 'Mallet-Sama' written on it's side #

Heero: Urk!

A.S. Heero-no-baka! Shine! # Chases after a hastily fleeing Heero #

Kiba: # sigh # So immature, leaving all the rest of the announcments to me. A.S.-sama has actually written a second fic, based in the Fushigi Yugi world, which is part of the reason for the lateness of this chapters release. So far it has recieve Zero reviews and a mere 8 hits, verses the 316 for this humble fic. A.S.-sama is aware that this is shameless self advertising, and doesn't care. Please view the other fic, Byakko no Shounin? before she decides to drop the project and stick to completely unoriginal story lines.

A.S. # dragging Heero's unconscious form and tossing aside a shattered meat tenderizer) Okay Kiba, that's enough of making me look bad. Leave before I catch my breath and thrash you too. Anyway, the next chapter is going to introduce the reason I wrote this fic in the first place: the Original Character. I'm really excited and can't wait to get typing-

Heero: # in a delirious mumble # promises promises.

A.S. # glares and kicks Heero # So anyway, I'll see you next time! Thanks for actually reading this far! (ah man God of Darkness is going to kill me for what I did to his character!)

* * *

New Notes: # Makes big, happy-puppy eyes # I love you Peopel! All I had to do was beg pathetically and I got a tone of reviews on my other two fics! I'm _so_ happy! # does happy dance and scares everyone away# um, ano... Anyway, in response to PeaceLoveOcelot's quesiton about the random trainers, most of those are from Songwind's 'Bishonen and Bishoujo' fic near the end. Three were thrown in from my group and one, the Illampazo trainer, was just there. Of the three that were added, the red-head fanatic and the Dee fanatic are over-dramatizations of two of my friends, and the ear-freak... eh, that's an over-dramatization of me!

Heero and Kiba: # steady glare#

A.S.: Uh... moving right along! If anything else in this fic confuses you, feel free to ask and I'll either answer it in the fic body itself or in the notes like I am now. Thanks again for all the lovely reviews!


	8. Moving Right Along!

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: How often do I got to say it! I don't these guys, only the ones I, myself and me created! Go sue someone else! Like someone who actually has a life to distrupt!

A.N.: Enter the Original Character. And some other stuff.

* * *

"I hate you"

"That's nice"

"I _hate _you."

"Uh-huh"

"_I _hate_ you_"

"Sure, that's great."

"You suck. I hate you. I hope your limbs are ripped off and that you rot in hell with maggots-"

"Hey, Virg? That's getting a little extreme…" Yusuke said uneasily. Not with the description, he knew Virgil well enough to know that the Trainer didn't _really _mean it, mostly. Nor was he afraid of Armina's feelings being hurt, he could see how she was struggling not to laugh clearly enough. No, what was making the Bish uneasy was the way that Kiba was 'grinning' and the way that Uh-Mu was stretching his arms.

"Okay, but still! You suck! 100 hundred yen! That was all I needed! A measly 100 yen, and you have it to spare, easy!" Virgil yelled, pointing fiercely at 'Mina. _It's a real good thing Heero decided to hide in his Ball along with Ranma and Sasuke. _Yusuke thought to himself.

"Virg," 'Mina said patiently, "one yen in this world is equivalent to $20 dollars in the old world. I am not lending you $2,000 dollars."

"But I'd pay you back! You know I'm good for that!" Virgil cried out.

"I have Bish to feed. You have Bish to feed. I am not lending you money so that you can buy a tank." Yusuke, Kiba and Lina all choked and stared at the Trainers. This was new.

"Where did you…?" Lina started to ask but was interrupted.

"But it was a FireStorm Model Three! With Capsule capability! Do you know how much fire power that thing has!"

"Sure. A lot. Great. You can blow up the mall then Capsulize your tank so it's travel size for your convenience." 'Mina drawled.

"Exactly!" The group had to pause so that 'Mina could pound her head against a tree by the side of the road.

"So, um," Lina started to ask Virgil, "when and where did you find a tank for sale?"

"At that Army/Navy Surplus that 'Mina went into with me." Virgil explained with complete composure.

"I went in with him to make sure he didn't buy a tactical nuke." 'Mina groaned from by the tree. She'd stopped pounding her head, but now was clinging to it as if it was her last hold on sanity. She probably wasn't too far off.

"They didn't have one for public sale." Virgil sulked, "I checked." #wonk# #wonk# #wonk#

"'Mina, that can't be good for your head." Lina said, going over to console her friend. Kiba was already there trying to do the same thing.

"But why were you in an Army/Navy Surplus, without us?" Yusuke asked.

"You guys were eating." Virgil said.

"Oooohhhh" The three Bish that were out said in unison. That did explain it all.

It was three days after the mall fiasco and the group was on the road again, traveling together, but only to the crossroads. The first two days after the fiasco had been spent in the local gym for the first half of the day, then spent doing whatever in the second half. Usually the second half was spent back in the gym. But today they had left the city and were now one hour away from the exit check point (yes, checks in and out). Ranma, Heero and Sasuke had decided that going through the hassle of the check point was too much to bother with and had hid in their respective Balls. This check was much easier to deal with then the last, just a showing of the Dex, showing of the Bish, and they were on their way with a "Have a nice day."

Virgil hadn't shut up about the 100 yen for the entire trip.

"I don't even want to know what you want to do with a FireStorm tank in the first place." Lina declared loudly.

"You know that mall that we went into?" 'Mina asked.

"Er, yeah?"

"You could kiss it good bye, and you had better do it _before_ the tank comes into his hands." 'Mina bopped her head against the tree again as Virgil chuckled manically. "I do hope you realize that blowing up public property is illegal, right?"

"Feh, petty details." Virgil shrugged off the statement.

"And that you could get arrested?"

"Like you'd turn me in."

"You do realize you owe me for keeping quiet about the tear gas in the jail cell right?"

"Tear gas? What tear gas? I know nothing about a live tear gas grenade landing in the asshole guard's cell." Virgil said, looking around with exaggerated caution. "But do you know how much those grenades cost?"

"No, because unlike you, I am not a munitions freak." 'Mina drawled as Lina and Kiba stared at Virgil, sweat drops decorating their heads. Yusuke was busy pretending he didn't know his Trainer.

"Really expensive and I wouldn't have had to pay that if mister-I-can't-do-that-Yusuke would just shoot off a few Rei guns!" Virgil complained as he strangled said Bishonen.

"But I #ack# really can't #choke# do that! It's #strangle# forbidden in #gasp# the code!" Yusuke managed.

"Code? What code?" 'Mina and Virgil chorused. Lina dug into her pocket and withdrew a Bish-dex.

"Bishonen and Bishoujo Code of Conduct in the Circumstance that the Afore Mentioned Should be Captured." She read solemnly as 'Mina and Virgil blink-blinked at her. "Code 26, paragraph 6, item 94: No Bishonen or Bishoujo, with the qualification of having the necessary power, magic, munitions, etc, will willfully and with full intention of, destroy the property of another, ie: a building, vehicle, baggage, etc, with the only exclusion being the immediate protection of said Bishonen or Bishoujo's Trainer, the Trainer of another Bishonen or Bishoujo, and/or another Bishonen or Bishoujo that may, for whatever reason, is unable to defend his or her self." Lina lowered the Dex and looked at the glaze-eyed Trainers and Bish staring at her, "In other words, we can't blow anything up unless we're in the process of protecting you guys or someone else."

"But, er, um, okay…" 'Mina said intelligently, "But wait a sec! I know that there are guys out there that don't give a fat damn about rules or codes or whatnot! How come they don't blow everything to kingdom come?"

"Yeah, your kind's pretty free about that Dragon Slave spell and can you imagine Sephiroth not destroying anything that he doesn't like the look of?" Virgil asked.

"It's part of the Coercion spell." came a muffled voice from the vicinity of 'Mina's waist. The entire group blink-blinked at the Ball that held Heero as 'Mina let him out. Heero immediately indulged in a good stretch.

"Coercion spell? What the hell is that?" 'Mina demanded fiercely.

"The reason I really didn't want to be caught in the first place." Heero growled, "Until I got to know you better, that is." 'Mina opened her mouth to demand a real answer when Kiba spoke up.

"It's a basic spell of obedience that's placed on each and every Bish the moment he or she is captured." 'Mina snapped her mouth shut and stared at Kiba, her expression almost distraught, but then so was Virgil's.

"What! What kind of bullshit is this!" He snapped.

"To insure that Bish don't do anything counterproductive to a thriving civilization, certain limits and limitations are placed on Bish to make sure that we don't kill anyone needlessly, protect our Trainers and maintain public peace." Kiba explained, "I 'm surprised you haven't heard all of this already. It's a basic part of this world and the way it works."

Heero and Yusuke nodded. "Remember how pissed I was when you first caught me?" Yusuke asked Virgil, "But I protected you against Ranma when you cornered him, anyway? That was the coercion at work. If a Trainer dies, the binding on the Bish Balls immediately dissolves, freeing all of that Trainers Bishies. So, to insure that no Trainers were murdered through neglect, the Coercion spell was made, so that all Bish had to protect his or her Trainer regardless of what he or she really wanted to do."

"And then more things were added to the Coercion as other problems were revealed and the spell is as it is today." Heero finished.

"So basically not only are you bound to follow your Trainer within a three mile radius or suffer going insane, all of your behavior is predetermined by a board of petty bureaucrats." 'Mina stated in an icy tone. "Oh, that's just lovely. That's perfectly wonderful." Her face was completely devoid of any expression. Except for her eyes, they nearly gave basis to the saying 'if looks could kill'. Everyone save Uh-Mu backed away from her cautiously. "This is a completely and wonderfully fucked up world you have here. Glad I could experience it. I'm going to the capital to beat the crap out of the leaders now." She glared at Heero and Kiba, who suddenly appeared right in front of her. "Please get the hell out of my way, _now_. Before I beat the crap out of you first."

"Now 'Mina, it's really okay. You really, honestly don't have to do that." Heero said voice and knees shaking.

"Yeah, really, the spell is there for a good reason." Yusuke said from behind Virgil-the-human-shield ('don't hide behind me you idiot' 'if you think I'm going out into her line of fire, you're crazy'). Yusuke ducked behind a rather panicked-looking Virgil as 'Mina glared in his direction. She then transferred her glare to Lina as the Bishoujo stepped in front of her.

"Look, before you blow anymore gaskets, pick up a book on the history of this place and learn the _reason_ there are restrictions on us. Because there are some very good reasons, a lot of people died before the Coercions were made, and the only time we even know that they're there is when we try and violate one of the Conduct Codes." The sorceress said with utter seriousness. The other three Bish nodded enthusiastically.

"Really, I didn't even notice it when I was goaded into protecting Virgil, all that happened was I thought, 'If he gets killed then there goes my meal ticket'" Yusuke said in a hasty, nervous voice. "Really, that was all, and now nothing happens 'cause I want to protect Virg, he's a nice guy, and we got a lot in common."

"'Mina," Heero said softly, attracting her attention, "I've never once felt compelled to do something I didn't already want to do, and I haven't regretted a single moment of being with you." The two stared into each other's eyes for a while, then 'Mina turned and started walking down the road in the direction that they had been going.

"Well? You guys gonna stand around all day or are we going to try and make the crossroads before nightfall?" She called over her shoulder. Heero and Kiba perked up and trotted after her, soon followed by a Lina who was rubbing her head muttering about how friends were too much trouble, followed by Uh-Mu. The last to follow were Virgil and Yusuke, who stood there for a while before heaving huge sighs in unison.

"You have scary female friends, you know that?" Yusuke said.

"_Now_ do you see why I like to hide whenever there's a girl around?" Came Sasuke's muffled voice from his Ball.

"Coward." Virgil said without a drop of sincerity.

"_Selective _coward, please." Sasuke replied.

"Doesn't change the fact that you're a coward." Ranma quipped, with a bit more sincerity then Virgil.

"I didn't see, or rather _hear_, _you_ come out to help our Trainer." Sasuke replied while Yusuke and Virgil snickered.

* * *

It was several hours after the crossroads had been reached and the three groups had parted ways, when 'Mina and her two Bish set up camp for the evening. The crossroads was a spot where two roads, one running perfectly North and South, the other running perfectly East and West. 'Mina was heading West, to a city that held a very large gym, Yrotciv or something like that. Virgil was heading South, to an area that was supposed to hold a lot of Cowboy Bebop characters. To get there he was going to have to go through a lot of rough territory, but that was just the way his Bish wanted it. Lina was heading North, to Oz territory she said.

"I'm going to see if I can't get Uh-Mu a brain." She had said. 'Mina was pretty sure she was only half joking. 'Mina knew she was going to miss her old friend's and new friends' company, but she was glad that they were parting ways for a while, it was much more peaceful this way. _And it's not like I can't talk to them anytime I want, I got their Dex numbers after all. _

Kiba was out hunting to bring 'Mina some fresh meat for dinner, Heero was refilling the Capsule house cistern since there was a clear spring nearby and 'Mina was getting dinner ready. All in all, she was feeling rather content. Heero and Kiba had both convinced her that the Coercion spell wasn't as bad as it sounded. _I still don't like it though, but there's really nothing I can do about, so I might as well pretend I never learned about it. That way I won't get pissed._ And really, aside from that ugly little stain, everything was going perfectly. During the training sessions in the gym, 'Mina had realized just how lucky she was to have Heero and Kiba as her voluntary Bish. They were both insanely powerful, especially Heero.

Yusuke had wanted a play-fight with Heero, not a real Bish-battle, but a serious enough fight that they could both see who was strongest. Now, Yusuke was a strong Bishonen, an older San on the verge of evolving, Virgil's first Bish and strongest fighter. He had gotten his ass handed to him by Heero. Ranma had wanted to redeem his best friend's honor by defeating Heero's partner, proving that Virgil's party was just as strong as 'Mina's. Ranma was Virgil's second Bish and was almost as strong as Yusuke, although not as old and therefore not as close to evolving. Kiba had sent him sprawling within five minutes.

This said nothing of Virgil's strength as a Trainer however, but everything about how strong and experienced Heero and Kiba were. Heero was dead serious about his ambition to become Sama, and Kiba had been widely battled by his previous Trainer, and was now putting all his effort into his battles for his new Trainer's sake. _But I think the real reason Heero won his fight with Yusuke within two minutes is that Heero is deceptive._

It was bad of 'Mina, but she couldn't help but compare her Bish with Pokemon. _Heero's like one of those Pokemon that doesn't evolve without a Stone, and Kiba's like one that _looks_ weak, but is really very powerful._ Most people, Trainer and Bish alike, thought: Chibi - weak, non-fighter, San - moderate, still growing, Sama - strong to super-strong, top level. If Heero had been any Bish other then a Gundam Wing pilot, he would be well past Sama stage due to his strength and experience. But since he was a gundam pilot, and he was stuck in San stage, others like Yusuke underestimated his strength, started to go easy on him, and got their ass whooped before they knew what happened.

Kiba was equally deceptive. He was in Sama stage, but you really couldn't tell because he was in wolf form. He could have been anywhere from young San to mid-Sama. So other fighters usually tested him to gauge his strength while Kiba sniffed out their strength right away and fought accordingly, resulting in the same outcome as Heero's fight, the opponent laid out cold before they realized what hit them.

So quite by accident, 'Mina had a devastating pair of fighters, making her a very deceptive Trainer to go with her deceptive Bish. No other Trainer would expect a newbie like her to have strong Bish yet. _My boys are worth everything I can give them, I'm lucky to have them as my friends. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't met Heero that first day. If he hadn't been with me I would never have noticed Kiba, and would never have met my other best friend._ Speaking of Kiba…

'Mina heard a discreet #scritch# at the door of the Capsule house and went out to the front 'lawn'. _The temporary lawn at least._ Kiba had two rabbits in his mouth, and his tail was wagging. 'Mina chose not to mention that as she took the two rabbits to clean them. Most people would have been squeamish about the thought of cutting open two bunnies to take out their guts and cut of their cute little heads, and 'Mina had been a little queasy at the thought at first. But the doubled aspects of growing up on nature programs, watching lions and hyenas tear apart gazelle fawns and sharks rend seal pups almost daily, then living in the country getting all kinds of lovely disemboweled presents from her many cats; 'Mina learned to deal with blood and gore on a small scale rather quickly. Cutting up already-dead bunny-rabbits was more than tolerable. The only problem with was Kiba.

"Do you think you could _not _drool on me while I'm doing this?" she asked the captivated Kiba.

"Huh?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the opened belly of the rabbit. 'Mina sighed, it was times like this that she truly realized that Kiba was a _wolf_ and not a human in the form of a wolf. There was a genuine difference between the two. 'Mina finished cleaning the bunnies and left the offal for the very obliging Kiba to clean up.

"That's really gross you know." Heero commented as he passed the feasting Kiba. Kiba grunted, Heero had said this before, when they were traveling to reach Llamgib and Kiba had gone hunting.

"Shouldn't I be the sheltered one?" 'Mina asked from the door. Heero grimaced at the sight of the headless, skinless, gutless bunnies hanging from her hands.

"I'm not answering that." Heero replied as he poured the two buckets of water into the cistern.

"Dinner should be ready in fifteen minutes." 'Mina said instead of all the others things she could have replied with. She was trying to be nice, every now and then. Heero gave her a drawl look, he knew her well enough to know that she was restraining herself from teasing him.

"That's nice. I take it the mutt won't be having any since he's already eaten?"

"You know, the hunting here's real good." Kiba said evilly, "I could always go get another rabbit and eat it in front of you. The floor in the front rooms is linoleum, it would be easy enough to clean up afterward."

"Kiba, stop. Heero's turning green." 'Mina said, stifling a giggle.

"Thanks, I'm going inside now. I'll leave you to your intestines-"

"Already had them, thanks." Kiba said, licking his red muzzle. Heero shuddered and gagged.

"I still say it's gross."

"But think of all the culinary experiences you're missing out on!" Kiba said wickedly, "Oatmeal-and-lung stuffed intestine, stewed pig fetus, kidney pie and-"

"Urk!" Heero rushed inside. There was a downside to having a vivid imagination.

"Kiba, that was mean." 'Mina said, a little astonished. Kiba was usually a little nicer then this. "Is something wrong, that you're taking it out on Heero?"

"Nothing in particular, just getting him back for yesterday." Kiba said calmly. 'Mina stared hard at the wolf for a moment then turned to go inside.

"You know, I really don't want to know what happened while Virg and I were shopping for Weapons of Mass Destruction, I really don't. Just be nice to Heero during dinner, I don't want to have to clean up any unnecessary messes."

"Of course" Kiba said, washing his paws with perfect composure. 'Mina took one more glance outside, as if she was trying to decide something.

"Could you gather some wood while I cook? It's a nice night, I'd like to have a fire outside and star gaze a bit." She requested.

"Sounds nice,"

"Provided you don't harass Heero anymore"

"Would I do that?" Kiba affected wounded trust. 'Mina gave him a steady look and Kiba chuckled and duck his head. She finally turned in to actually make the anticipated meal.

* * *

The dinner was made and eaten, and Kiba gave an apology to Heero, which was accepted with a return one for the mysterious event that had happened the previous day. The trio then went out to make and enjoy a camp fire. 'Mina felt a strong sense of peaceful contentment steal over her as she gazed at the cheerful little fire. _If I could keep things like this, I would be happy for the rest of my life. _A dark whisper then crept up from the depths of her soul. _But it never stays the way you want it, does it?_ The darkness murmured to her. _The better your life is, the more peaceful, the harder and crueler the chaos will be when it comes. And it will come. Good luck is always balanced by bad. You will always catch it in the end. Just like last time. _The happy crackle of the fire seemed to turn angry. 'Mina shook her head to chase out that dark whisper and leaned back in the folding lawn chair she had brought out. She didn't notice Kiba's curious, worried look.

_I shouldn't think about _that_, not with as happy as life is right now. I should think about happy things, to go with this happy life. Like yesterday! _'Mina grinned up at the bright stars. The morning had been training, then had come lunch, next trying to keep Virgil from buying enough explosives to blow up the entire city. After that 'Mina had said that since they were going to be heading out early the next morning, they should turn in early. So 'Mina had drug her two Bish back towards the hotel they were staying in, and passed by a playground on the way. There was a little ice-cream cart next to the playground, and 'Mina decided to give into temptation and buy herself a cone. She had turned around to ask if Heero or Kiba wanted any, and found that they weren't there. Instead of being next to her, they were in the playground, Kiba being clambered over by the youngest children, Heero playing a game of tag with the older. It was the last thing 'Mina had ever expected to see.

'Mina didn't have the heart to call Heero and Kiba away from the kids when all involved seemed to be having so much fun. Instead of the early night that she had planned on, they didn't leave until sunset when the last child was collected by her amused parents. The memory was a definite warm-fuzzy in 'Mina's mind. She had had no idea her Bish were that soft on kids, but there was no argument about it from her. She chuckled a little at the memory.

"What are you thinking about that's got you so amused?" Heero asked, sitting up from his star-gazing sprawl.

"Oh, just the vision of you being pulled down by a half-dozen kids and Chibi's. I hadn't known before that the great Heero could be so easily defeated by warriors under the age of six." 'Mina replied. Heero chuckled and Kiba snickered.

"The 'Great Heero' is hardly about to use his full strength against such young, potential pupils." Heero said loftily, "After all, I do have a grand reputation to maintain." That caused Kiba and 'Mina both to choke.

"Grand Reputation? _What _'Grand Reputation'?" Kiba demanded.

"A mere peasant such as you would know nothing of it." Heero replied, laying on thick. 'Mina struggled to breath, she was laughing so hard. Kiba wasn't too far behind her. But the merriment was abruptly interrupted.

'Mina had no idea what triggered them, but Kiba and Heero both jumped to their feet, Heero unsheathing the long belt knife 'Mina had bought for him along with the throwing knives after much begging. Every strand of fur on Kiba's back was on end as he glared into the woods surrounding the campsite.

"What-?" she started to ask quietly. Heero waved her silent as he moved between her and the suspect woods, his gaze never leaving the trees. But the first thing to appear from them was hardly worth all the tension. A tiny, pale grey shape emerged; a Chibi.

'Mina had risen to stand just behind Heero when the Chibi came out. The little one was panting from exertion and panic, small whimpers coming in between the pants. That, paired with the tear-streaked, frightened face, was too much for 'Mina to resist. She may not have liked kids very much, but she wasn't completely devoid of maternal instinct. She crouched and held out her arms to the tiny one, who took one look at her, then lunged into her arms. Heero and Kiba barely spared the Chibi a second glance and the reason was soon apparent. What appeared to 'Mina to be a small army of Bish-warriors appeared out of the woods after the child. The look the warriors gave the Chibi was less then appealing.

"So, you going to harbor that half-blood filth?" The first one sneered. He was Demon-Eyes Kyo, for Samuri Deeper Kyo, in his true form. The red fire light casting shadows on his blood-red-eyed face gave 'Mina chills, not that she was going to reveal _that_!

"I don't recognize this term, 'half-blood filth', that you speak of." She said as she stood proudly, cradling the child in her arms. She could feel his heart pounding hard and heard a pathetic, terrified whimper. That made her hold him tighter against her chest, determined to protect him. From the way Kiba deepened his growl, and the way that Heero raised his long blade and brought out one of the throw knives, the whimper had the same affect on them.

"That trash you have there is a Half-blood bastard, only worthy of being meat for scavengers." Growled the second warrior, Demon-Eyes Kyo in Kyoshiro's body.

"The hell you say," Heero said in a voice that 'Mina never heard before, mechanical and cold, devoid of any kind of emotion. The Chibi shivered harder, burrowing deeper into 'Mina's embrace. "A child is a child, regardless of birth. He hardly asked to be born as he is, and if you hold such a thing as birth and blood as a crime, then you hardly deserve the classification as a sentient being." No profane language, no real name calling, but coldness of tone, as if the enemy was unworthy of such a thing, made 'Mina shiver in sync with the child. She and Kiba both looked at Heero with astonishment. Heero's eyes were glowing a yellow gold, truly glowing. Zero-system. The two Kyo's and their crew seemed to recognize the fact that their opponent was in an honest-to-God, deadly mood.

"Feh, if you think such a thing, then keep that garbage." The first Kyo said, the mock bravado in his voice too loud and fake to be believable.

"We will. Now go, we are on Trainer territory here." Heero said, knives lowered, but still clearly ready. The Kyo's and the others with them uttered empty threats and insults as they melted back into the forest. Heero closed his eyes, took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Then he shook himself in a way that would have been comical had the situation been different and opened his eyes to look over at 'Mina. They were again the familiar dark blue that 'Mina knew best.

"Well, that was uncomfortable." Kiba said cryptically, carefully not saying _what_ was uncomfortable. 'Mina looked over at the wolf, and giggled. Kiba's fur was completely puffed out, and since he wasn't snarling he didn't look in the least threatening.

"You look like a giant fluff ball." 'Mina said. The Chibi cautiously peeked out due to the light tone of 'Mina's voice and giggled as well at the sight of Kiba. "But let's go inside. We need to figure out where you came from, little one, and how to get you back home."

"Don't… don't gotta home…" The Chibi mumbled as 'Mina carried him into the well lit front room. 'Mina set him down on the loveseat and got a good look at him while Heero grabbed a bucket to put out the camp fire (safety first!).

'Mina couldn't figure out if the Chibi looked more like Youko Kurama or Inuyasha and finally decided it was neither. The Chibi had long, thick grey hair, with fox ears poking out on the top of his head. His eyes were a darker grey, and he was wearing a old style Japanese _gi_, the baggy pants with the long kimono-like robe, in a pale grey. _He's all shades of grey_. 'Mina thought in surprise. The little one shifted a bit and pulled a long fluffy tail into his lap and hugged it like it was a security blanket. The fur on the tail was the same color as his hair, so it was clearly his, and not a fake tail like the ones that could be found at Renaissance Faires. But something about the way he looked tugged at 'Mina's memory, but she couldn't figure out why…

"What's your name?" She asked, "Can't keep calling you 'little one' and 'chibi', it would be rude." The Chibi looked up at her with wide, liquid eyes and 'Mina just about melted.

"Ketric…" He whispered, "My name's… Ketric." 'Mina blinked. _That's not possible! Ketric is the name of the character I created! But I never wrote more then half a chapter of his story, and I didn't share it with anyone. There's no way _anybody_ but me knows that name!_ But 'Mina stifled her shock, and rationalized. In this world, why not a child named Ketric?

"Where are you from Ketric?" Kiba asked as he sat next to 'Mina, who was crouched in front of the loveseat. Ketric shook his head and hugged his tail tighter. 'Mina and Kiba traded glances.

"Well, how about this, where are you parents from?" Heero said from behind his Trainer and friend. Ketric shook his head harder and hunched, his young face a study of misery. 'Mina bit her lip.

"Can you tell us the very first thing you remember?" She asked softly, placing a gentle hand on his hunched shoulder. Ketric looked up, and she did her best to look reassuring.

"I remember bein' in the woods. I was alone, an' I was scared." He said softly, "I was alone all day, an' all night an' all the next day too. Then those mean people came. I wanted to be friends, but they chased me an' called me 'half-Bish' an' other stuff…"

"You're not half-Bish," Kiba stated firmly. The others looked at him sharply, "I have a very keen nose, and I can tell you straight out that you are full Bish. Half-Bish and full Bish smell very different." Ketric looked at Kiba wide-eyed, sitting up and loosening his death-grip on his tail. _Huh, well that's interesting. I've never heard of a character called Ketric before, but that means nothing. This world holds all fictional characters ever created, and there is no possible way _anybody_ could know all the fictional characters, let alone me._

"And I'd guess that you have amnesia, too." Heero said, interrupting 'Mina's thoughts.

"Amenisa?" Ketric asked, mangling the word in typical child fashion.

"_'Amnesia'_ It means that you lost your memory, probably from hitting your head." Heero explained, "Do you have any bumps on you head that hurt?" Ketric shook his head, clutching his tail again. _He gets tense if he has to answer in the negative, but relaxes if he gives an answer in the positive._

"K-chan," 'Mina said gently, "it's okay for you to say you don't know something. We want to help you, that's why we're asking so many questions. All we want is the truth, and how could we be angry if the truth is an 'I don't know'?"

"And the truth is," Heero whispered into 'Mina's ear, "that if we want to live through the night, we have to leave- _now!_" 'Mina looked over at Heero and nodded slowly. She had read the SDK manga, she knew how scary it's hero/anti-heroes were. The main characters were, to not put to fine a point on it, blood-thirsty killers.

"Are you hungry?" She asked Ketric. The Chibi opened his mouth to answer only to be beaten to it by his stomach. "Silly question, kids are _always_ hungry, even when they're big kids like Heero. _Especially_ when they're big kids like Heero."

"Hey, just because I eat my weight in food each day-" Heero retorted with a wink towards Ketric.

"See what I mean?" 'Mina said with a sigh and a shrug. Ketric giggled a little, making the three adults very relieved. A happy kid was a much better thing then a scared kid. "Let me get you something to eat, and then we're going to go for a walk."

Ketric cocked his head to the side in a way that made 'Mina want to squeal 'Ka'wii!' "Why? Why do we gotta walk?" _Damn, I don't want to lie to him, but the truth might upset him!_

"Because the mean people are stupid cheats that like to fight in the dark." Kiba answered.

"But why do they wanna fight? I'm not buggin' them still, am I?" Ketric's eyes became liquid again, but this time with hurt.

"K-chan," Heero said, kneeling in front of him to look at him, eye to eye, "there are people in this world that feel that anyone who is even a little different from them is bugging them with their mere existence. And they will want to kill those different people."

"But… Why?"

"I wish I knew, I really do. Then I might be able to get them to leave different people like all four of us alone." Heero answered with earnest sincerity.

"But… you're not different. An' she's not different." Ketric said confused. Heero grinned and leaned close to share a secret.

"K-chan, trust me, 'Mina is the most 'different' person in exista-ouch!" Heero had just gotten smack by 'Mina's paper tessen.

"I knew this thing would come in handy." She drawled, then grinned and winked at Ketric while Heero made an over-exaggerated pouty-face. "Here's your snack, K-chan." She said, handing the Chibi a sandwich cut into quarters. Ketric snatched it with a sunny 'Arigato!' 'Mina couldn't take it anymore. She glomped him.

"K-chan, you are too dang _cute_!" She cooed while she snuggled him. Ketric froze for about a second and a half before snuggling back, beaming. Heero and Kiba watched with approving smiles, thinking the same thing. _These two are worth fighting for._

_

* * *

_

A.S.: #blink# Wow, #blink# Is this possible? #blink# Are feeling like me and wanting to say: "Who are you and what did you do with Armina Skitty?" Is it physically possible for me to do two updates within a week of eachother?

Heero (feels A.S.'s forehead): Are you feeling alright? You started a _third_ story as well this week. Are you taking some kind of drug?

A.S.: Not unless you're slipping something into my morning tea.

Heero: Now would I do something like that?

A.S. (unwavering stare)

Heero: Um, er, ah. Oh alright, so I would! But I didn't I swear! Upon my Sharp, Pointy Objects!

A.S: Ah, okay, I believe you. Sorta. And yes, I am going to indulge in more shameless self-advertising! I have another fic in the works, Shadowed Wolf, in the Naruto section. I put up the first chapter right before I put this one up. Go and read and GIVE ME REVIEWS! FOR PITY'S SAKE PEOPLE!

Kiba: I don't think that's going to work. You how people are, if you ask them to do something they won't do it?

A.S.: #hmph# Alright. How 'bout this? I don't want your reviews! You can keep 'em! Who want's your stinking praise and constructive critizism and- WAH! GIMME REVIEWS! I WANT THEM! I WAN'EM!IWAN'EM!IWAN'EM!

Heero: I think she finally snapped.

Kiba: I think it's because KamiKaze no Kage gave this fic such a nice review but her Byakko no Shounin fic still has not a one.

A.S.:Why! Why no reviews on that fic? Why not even a flame to tell me it sucks! Why! I don't understand!

Heero (pats the tear-geysering A.S.): There there, it's just because that story sucks so bad that it puts people to sleep that no one reviews it.

A.S.: (Sends Heero into outer orbit with her tessen #i really need to get one of those in life#)

Kiba: And she's back to normal. Way to go Heero.

Heero (tinny, far-away voice): What'd I say...!

A.S.: An-y-way! What do you guys think about Ketric thus far? I'll be explaining more about him in the next chapter-

Virgil: May it come out as quickly as this chapter.

A.S.: Hey! What're you doing here? You've already exited the scene!

Virgil: Just letting you know how _real_ people feel, since you often go into your little make-believe land.

A.S: What's wrong with a make-believe land. It's nice here, the people know me.

Virgil & and everyone else: (flat stare)

A.S: muum-ummm! Lemme alone! No! Wait! GIMME REVIEWS! Until next time- (kerthunk!)

Kiba: Oh, you finally came down, Heero?

Heero (swirlly-eyed) Oooo-roooo...


	9. Chapter 9 part A: Meh

Chapter 9, Part A

AN: Now we're getting into descriptions. And wacko weirdness. But there would be no such things as fanfics without wacko weirdness, so maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it because it's redundant… Ah, the hell with it! On to the fic!

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It had been roughly eight o'clock p.m. when Armina and her Bish had started walking away from the campsite. When they finally stopped, it was 4:30 a.m. Ketric had long since fallen asleep on Heero's back. But Heero and Kiba both were far from sleepy. Heero had heard many disturbing rumors about the Samurai Deeper Kyo Bish, and Kiba had had experience with them. The SDK Bish were not the nicest of people by a long shot. So the two elder Bish had kept their senses extended for any hint of violence or threat. Fortunately there was none.

When they finally made camp, 'Mina was more than ready to drop. She un-Capsulized the Capsule house in an appropriate looking clearing, entered and flopped on the couch with a groan. Heero grinned at her and set Ketric down in on of the plush armchairs. The Chibi curled up into a ball, fluffy tail shielding his face from the dim light, and gave a happy sigh, all without waking up. 'Mina and Heero exchanged an 'isn't he _adorable_?' look, then Heero went back outside with Kiba to complete a border patrol. The two captured Bish were not about to take any chances that the SDK Bish might ambush them, even now that they were far out of the other's territory. But Kiba and Heero found nothing and went back inside.

Kiba first went to grab a big pillow and pulled it in front of the door so that he could sleep there. Heero went first to check on his Trainer and the Chibi that they were all protecting. He wasn't' expecting the sight that greeted him, not with knowing 'Mina as he did.

'Mina and Ketric were both fast asleep on the couch; Ketric curled up in 'Mina's arms, 'Mina cradling the Chibi in a very maternal-protective way. It was a very cozy looking scene and not at all like 'Mina. _Didn't she tell me on the very first day I met her that she hated kids? Where's that 'I hate kids' attitude now?_ Heero sighted softly and shook his head, that was his Trainer, constantly contradictive and always changing her mood. _Makes for an interesting life, to say the least. _He noticed that 'Mina was shivering a little and grabbed an afghan blanket from the back of one of the chairs and tucked it around the two sleeping forms. After he did that, he gently tucked a lock of stray hair behind 'Mina's ear and carefully caressed her face.

Then he froze, completely shocked at his actions. He hastily, but quietly, walked away to the back bedroom he had claimed as his. After flopping on the bed, he stared at the ceiling, attempting to comprehend his behavior and feeling. _I can't possibly be getting a crush on 'Mina, can I? It's ridiculous for me to like that semi-abusive, sharp-tongued, doesn't-give-a-good-god-damn harpy, and what's more, it's forbidden. 'No Bish shall indulge in any form of relationship with a Trainer, save one of chaste friendship and servitude.' That's the rule in _all_ the Bish villages now, and has been for four years since that invasion of crazed Half-Bish. _Never mind that it had been inarguably announced that the crazy Half-Bish had been mad and experimented upon by an insane Trainer. It was still forbidden for any Bish to indulge in any behavior that may possibly result in a Half-Bish. And for a health Bishonen to develop a crush on a healthy female Trainer definitely fell under that description. But…

_But, I still like her, she's completely different from any female I've ever associated with before. Maybe she's got a sharp tongue and maybe she likes to use her tessen a little too much, but she never crosses the line between teasing and insulting, and there is no possible way she could hurt me physically and she knows it. Damn it all! _Heero growled under his breath and tossed an arm over his eyes. It wasn't fair! _Okay, I got a crush on my Trainer! That doesn't mean I have to act on it and I sure as hell am _not_ admitting it to 'Mina. Besides, it's just a _crush_ and it'll probably fade on it's own in a few days, or weeks. The only reason I noticed it at all is because she's being so cute over Ketric! _Heero growled at himself this time._ No! I did not just think that my Trainer, _my Trainer,_ is cute. Nope, na-uh, didn't happen, you can't make me say it did! _Heero rolled over and grabbed his pillow.

"Oh, who the hell am I fooling?" He grumbled into the empty, dark room. "I am such an idiot." He said as he buried his face into his pillow. He should probably try and sleep, they were going to have to reach the next Trainer Village the next day to try and find Ketric's parents. _Or more accurately, reach the next Village today, in the morning. But it's already morning, technically. Ah, I need to get to sleep! _He groaned into his pillow. _Right, sleep, when I just realized I got a major crush on my _TRAINER_, who's sleeping _in the next room!_ I hate you God, your sense of humor_ Sucks!

Kiba, in the mean time, could very clearly scent Heero's infatuation and had been wondering when Heero was going to notice it for himself. _By all that muttering and groaning, I'd say he has._ This was going to be interesting. _My real-life soap-opera just got a new plot twist. Ah, I love reality; it's so much more fun than fiction! _He lay his head back down on his paws and stifled a snicker at his friend's emotional dilemma. _So what if I'm evil? It's not like I make the problems, I just enjoy the drama they cause!

* * *

_

The next morning came _way_ too early as far as 'Min was concerned. But she had to get up, not only was the sun shining _right_ into her eyes (ragi-frackin ball of gas, I will destroy you one of these days) but Ketric was begging for breakfast and was being _way_ too cute for his own good.

"You'd better be careful with those sad-puppy eyes or 'Mina's going to glomp you to death." Heero said as he came yawning into the kitchen. "Morning 'Mina, you look like you had zero real sleep last night."

"Same to you, buster. I thought Heero's could function optimally on only two hours of sleep?" 'Mina said as she attempted to tame her rat-nest hair. 'Attempted' being the key word here.

"Yes, but those two hours are critical and must be met." Heero mumbled into his folded arms. He was sitting in one of the kitchen table's chairs and was leaning over the table, not looking like Mister Sunshine. That was Ketric's job.

"'Mina-nee-san, I'm hungry. Those sandwiches were good, do you have anymore? I'm really very hungry." He begged in much too alert a tone for the two adults that were in the kitchen as he tugged at 'Mina's leg.

"K-chan, 'Mina works better if you don't try and pull her pants down while she's in the kitchen." Kiba said as he stretched his way off his pillow bed. "Morning mi-er- everyone."

"How come you look like you actually got sleep when we all went to bed at the same time?" Heero growled as he glared over hi arms. No morning lark here!

"Well, that's because I actually did get sleep." Kiba replied with dignity. If 'Mina had been awake, and if Heero's eyes had actually been able to focus, they would have noticed that Kiba was giving Heero a rather sly look. As it was, the only one who noticed was the one who was too young to know what a sly look was. And besides, all of Ketric's attention was centered on the fact that his tummy was empty, empty, empty and that the nice food provider was moving in slow motion. But 'Mina finally did manage to make breakfast; pancakes, eggs and bacon, with coffee, tea and orange juice, and the small group finally set off for the nearest village, which turned out to not be Llamgib. As it so happened, the city of Llamgib and the village of Emoh were only a day and three quarters apart by normal walking speed. At the rate that 'Mina was able to travel, and the extra distance that the group had put in last night, they were less then two hours away from the Emoh. Which was a very good thing, seeing as they had actually gotten up and 9:30 a.m., but hadn't gotten moving until around 11:30 a.m.

The adults had decided while they had been walking last night that the best course of action would be to got to the Trainer Village nearest to where they had found Ketric and report a lost Chibi. If the parents of Ketric were captured, their Trainer, or Trainers, would be looking for him and would have filed a Missing Person's report. If the parents were wild, Bish messengers would go to all the nearby Bish Villages and give the Village Heads the report. The parents would then accompany the messengers to a prearranged location and Ketric would be handed over to his parents and 'Mina and her crew would go off with the glow of having done a very good deed. Or so Kiba had explained, by then he would know, seeing as he had observed this before.

So they set off and entered a fairly steady flow of traffic, for the Bish world. It seemed as if all of the population was concentrated in the cities and villages, despite the fact that a good half to three quarters of the Trainers were nomadic. But it was in the flow that 'Mina discovered two things: A) a Trainer with a Chibi was the target of many a dirty look and vicious verbal interrogation, and B) _none of the other Trainers seemed to be able to see Ketric!_

'Mina first discover this when her group encountered a Trainer with a Wufei and a Miroku. Ketric was happily walking along between Heero and 'Mina holding both of the adult's hands, when Wufei launched his first attack.

"So who did you kidnap that Chibi from?" He snapped.

"He's not kidnapped or captured." Heero replied, his tone one of icy civility, "He's lost and we're taking him to Emoh to report him and return him to his parents."

"Uhm…." The Trainer, a shy looking girl with chin length black hair and glasses, said, "what are you talking about? _Who_ are you talking about?"

"The Chibi right there with the ears." Wufei said pointing, and causing Ketric to hide behind 'Mina's legs, "What, do you need new glasses _again_, onna?" The girl blushed, then peered down between 'Mina and Heero, both of whom had stopped and turned toward the other group.

"I do _not_ need new glasses; I just got new prescription last week." She said far more strongly than her looks would suggest. "But I still don't see who you're talking about."

"Well, he is hiding behind the lovely lady's shapely legs," Miroku said smoothly, smiling flirtatiously at 'Mina. Heero bristled unnoticed, while 'Mina rolled her eyes and ignored the complement.

"Where? I don't see him." The girl said, in spite of the fact that she was looking directly at Ketric.

"Quit playing games, it's not like you." Wufei snapped. Miroku frowned.

"It's… really not like you to do such a thing, Trainer-mine." He said, looking at the girl with a serious look, "Can you truly not see him?" 'Mina and Heero were also frowning, 'Mina resting a hand on the frightened and confused Ketric's head. Kiba came up and gently licked his face, also trying to reassure the Chibi.

"No, I can't" The girl said, looking up at Miroku with a worried expression. Wufei started to growl something when Kiba interrupted him.

"She's telling the truth." The wolf said with total seriousness. "There is no lie in her scent, only honesty."

"Okay, I'm officially freaked out now." 'Mina said under her breath. That's when another Trainer and her group came along. The Bish in this crew though, were a little… different. The first girl's Miroku muttered uncomplimentary things under his breath when he caught sight of the new Miroku. He was dressed like a Prohibition age gangster and was flirting more than a little outrageously with the Sango dressed like a Catholic school girl, with her Kirara in her right, front, jacket pocket. Everybody else started to twitch. Then 'Mina caught sight of the short-ish Trainer with the two oddballs. It all suddenly made sense then.

"Brenna!"

"Eh? Armina?"

"What are you doing here?" The two friends chorused, pointing at each other.

To Be Continued…. Later….

* * *

A.S. #Deep breath# AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGG! I hate school and I hate work! They're conspiring against me and trying to prevent me from having a life! It's all their fault that I'm so late with PART A! _PART A!_ I wanted to get something up before the holidays and I can't get a full chapter up because of my wacked out schedule! And my schedule caused me to have a nervous break down as well. Just ask God Of Darkness, he'll tell you _aalllllll_ about it.

An-ee-way, I'm going to be workin' my but off for a while, so don't expect chapters to just spring out of the woodworks, ain't going to happen. I will try and get something up before Christmas (please god, let me get something up before Christmas!) but I don't know if I will. School's going to let out in a little bit, which is part of the reason I'm going crazy here, last quarter projects and whoop-de-shit finals coming up. And while Petco's not as crazy as Micheals arts 'n' crafts around the holidays (I hope) still... retail durin' the holidays? Not what I'd call a stress free occupation. _Then_ I'm going to be cleaning house with my folks, 'cause the whole tribe is coming over for X-mas, and boy won't that be fun and stress free, eh? (note: cut sarcasim here with knife)

So, there's my reasons for the late and future late chapters. Now for the rest of the shtuff.

I am partly opening the fic to new trainers, there are conditions though. I need people to be the black-haired boy and brunette from chapter two, the Trainer with the Ryo's from the mall from chapter seven, and the black haired girl with glasses here. I need a full profile, like so:

Name: Armina

Physical description: Height, 5'6" Weight: 120 lbs Age: 21 yrs.

Apperance: Naturally multi-hued hair, brown eyes with glasses, skinny in all the wrong places with a too-long face. Favors tee-shirts, jeans and sneakers. Wears a Trainer vest and keeps spare Bish Ball in the vest pockets. Keeps her used Bish Balls on her belt.

Personality: Sarcastic and slightly cynical from having been at the bottom of the social pyramid, 'Mina is still very nice and courtious to people she meets and makes friends readily with those who respond favorably. She despises the 'Popular' crowd though, for all the grief that they put her through in high school. She's a really good cook, likes animals but isnt' too certain about kids until one special kid changes her mind

Bish 1: Heero Yuy-San (Gundam W, Endless Waltz)

Personality Deviations: YES! He has a personality and a sense of humor. He favors knives over guns, isn't a computer freak and has no will power when it comes to small children. Relena's give him hives though.

Bish 2: Kiba-Sama (Wolf's Rain)

Personality Deviations: Sorta, he's more social and talkative then the Series Kiba, and is somehow unable to shift into human form, which works for animal-lover 'Mina. His loyalty is without bounds for those who earn it. He is also wise beyond his years due to his earlier foray into the Trainer world.

Bish 3: Ketric-Chibi (no series, he's an Original Character)

Personality and Bio: Sssshhhhhh! It's a secret! For now!

Alright, there it is, the basic profile that I want from each and everyone of you who wants to be in my fic! If you skimp on this, you aren't put in. If you don't give me this, you aren't put in. It you try and be a Half-Bish Trainer, you aren't put in. If you try and be a Part-Demon/monster/vampire/anything-other-than-human, you aren't put in. Noticing a trend here? I'm serious here, I'm making an exception for Ryushi 'cause it's easy enough to ignore the inner demon part, but for anyone else... You have been warned!

Heero: you do realize don't you, that you probably aren't going to get a single useable profile?

A.S. Kyu? It wasn't a problem for my in-person friends.

Kiba and Heero: #sigh#

Ketric: Why's my bio blank 'Mi-nee-san? huh? why's it blank?

A.S.:'Cause I'm going to describe you in-depth in Chap 9 part B

Heero:So she says.

A.S.:Silence you! I'm having schedule difficulties!

Kiba:So she says.

A.S.:ARG!

Ketric: Why's 'Mi-nee-san pulling out her hair?

Heero: Trust me kid, you don't want to know.

Ketric:Kyu?


	10. Chap 9, part B: Double Mehage

Authors Notes: Here's Chap 9, part B... Part C coming out... at some point. Keep your pants on about when, I'm a busy College girl.

* * *

_Okay, I'm standing in line for a Check Point Booth, with a Chibi that no Trainer but me can see clinging to my leg, and surrounded by so many San and Sama Bish radiating blood lust that even _I_ can sense it. I'd ask 'How can things get any worse', but then it'd start raining or something._ 'Mina thought to herself, cautiously watching the many angry Bish that were glaring at her. Heero and Kiba were pressed close to her side glaring just as furiously out at the other Bish. The upside was that her old high school friend Breena was there to help her, plus her newly made friend Kaede, or Kaede. The bad thing was that only the Miroku's were willing to believe and help her. The Wufei was… being Wufei, and the Sango…

_That Sango is a menace to any society that has demons or hanyou's in it. Hell, she'd be a menace to Furries!_ The moment she'd seen and really focused on Ketric, she'd tried to squash him with her Hirakotsu, screaming "Demon! Demon! EEEEEEEE! Kill it!"

Needless to say all the adults present had leapt to restrain her. She was currently being held safely away in her Bish Ball. Not a word of protest had come from any of the other Bish about that.

The Guard cleared another group of Trainers and the line moved up some more. _Ketric's being a real trooper though, his positively terrified by all that's going on and all he's done is whimper a little ever now and then. He's got to be the equivalent of a three or four year old and all this fuss over him has to be petrifying. Especially having a psycho Bishoujo try and kill you. If someone tried to kill me now I think I'd wail at the top of my lungs for oh, an hour or two afterwards. Not K-chan though. He just pressed close to me and cried a little._ 'Mina glanced down at the Chibi and stroked his hair reassuringly causing the Chibi to look up at her. She smiled down at him and he returned the smile tentatively and snuggled into her leg more.

Over by Kaede, Wufei grumbled under his breath at the display. He was unhappy and 'Mina was pretty sure she had all his reasons why pinned down. Chibi-napping was a major crime in the Bish world, and a common one. 'Mina claimed to have not Chibi-napped Ketric and her Bish were backing her up, plus Ketric was acting affectionate and trusting towards 'Mina, which wasn't something that nabbed Chibi's did. But, all other logic dictated that if a Trainer had a Chibi that wasn't given to her/him by a Breeder there was a 99 chance that Chibi had be taken forcibly and illegally. So, Wufei spoke out about Ketric's presence, only each time he did, the two Miroku's smacked him. After being smacked by a monk's staff and a machine gun for the eighth time, he learned to shut up. Mostly.

The line moved one group's worth closer to the booth. _Too bad the Miroku's can't smack all the other Bish that are protesting the way Wufei is. It'd make things less traumatizing for K-chan. And too bad that I need the extra help from the Miroku's or I'd ask their respective Trainers to put them in their Bish Balls!_ This thought was accompanied by a fierce glare at Breena's Miroku, who was inching his way closer and closer to Armina's ass.

"I trust you are familiar with the term 'castration'?" She asked pointedly when she caught him starting to reach out in her rump's general direction. Gangster Miroku blanched a dead white, tucked both hands behind his back and inched hastily away from her.

"You- you wouldn't really…" The other Miroku asked in a shaky tone, sweating slightly.

"I was a Biologist-in-training back in my home world, I am intimately familiar with the human body, male and female, on an anatomical level." 'Mina explained levelly "I have recently purchased several large, sharp knives for Heero and I know that he wouldn't deny me the lend of them. I also know that I need just say the word and I will have several strong Bishoujo eager to aid me in exacting appropriate revenge against a perverted transgressor." She glared back at Gangster Miroku, who was whimpering slightly. "So yes, I do really mean it." Breena sniggered, choked, then let out a full-throated guffaw while Kaede attempted and failed to stifle a giggle. Heero and Kiba looked pained, Wufei looked nervous and the Miroku's… looked like they wanted to run like hell but didn't dare. Ketric, fortunately, had understood maybe one word in three and merely looked confused. 'Mina patted his head and smiled at him and he relaxed a little more.

Movement out of the corner of her eye made 'Mina glance sharply to the side, where the normal Miroku had shifted position. Whether it had been towards or away from her, 'Mina didn't know but it made her wary. _Can things get any worse?

* * *

_

Crys had been a Check Point Booth Guard for close to ten years now. She had come into the Bish world early on in its, and her, life, and she was very content here. She'd wandered around for a few years before settling in Emoh. She'd decided to take the job of Booth Guard for two reasons; one, it had all the excitement of being on the road without actually _being_ on the road, and two, it was an excellent job for her Bishoujo, Kiyone, as well. She'd seen many things in her time as Booth Guard and had yet to meet a challenge that she couldn't handle with the help of Kiyone and whatever other Bish were willing to lend a hand.

So when she heard angry mutters from the crowded line, she wasn't really worried. She just cast a warning glance to her work partner and got back to her job of counter-checking Bish-Dexes and what her eyes saw and passing people along. But when Crys heard Kiyone's angry growl, she started to get a little worried. Few things ruffled her Kiyone's feathers, but one of those things was a kidnapped Chibi.

As Crys listened more intently to the crowd, that's what the problem seemed to be, but… where was the Chibi? The next group came in front of her Booth and she scanned them quickly: three female Trainers, one tall with glasses and fair hair, one short with short dark hair with an attitude, the last short with black hair and glasses. All had health, if wary, Bish, those Bish being: one Wolf's Rain Kiba in wolf form, one Endless Waltz Gundam W Heero, one Gundam W Wufei, two Inuyasha Miroku's, one normal, one deviant. No one else was around, so why was Kiyone glaring and growling about a Chibi?

"Alright, who'd you nab the Chibi from?" Kiyone finally snapped. The young woman in front with the Heero and Kiba sighed in tired manner, as if she'd been asked this question far too often.

"I didn't kidnap him, I found him and I'm trying-" she started but was interrupted.

"What Chibi?" Crys blurted out, too puzzled to be bothered with politeness. She was looking all over the place to find said Chibi, even glancing back at Kiyone to see where she was glaring, but the Guard saw nothing. Kiyone shot her Trainer a stunned look.

"The Chibi's right there, clinging to the kidnapper's leg!" The Bishoujo blurted. The Heero and Kiba growled at the accusation, and the two Miroku's glared. Crys ignored them and focused on the taller woman's legs. One of the things that Crys prided herself on was her observational skills, she could often see things that others missed and enjoyed stunning even detective Bish with what she had noticed. These skills where standing her in good stead now, for she was noticing things that no other Trainer had noticed. Such as: a shadow where one had no right to be; a bunching in the left pants' leg, as if little hands were clenched there; an impression, as if a small body was pressed close to that leg; and final a shimmery outline, like a concentrated heat hazed stood between her and the ground.

Crys felt herself pale, nothing like this had been described to her in training, nor had she ever been told about something like this by any other guard. She leaned back in her chair, staring at the anomaly until she noticed that she was the focus of many intense sets of eyes. She met the Trainer who was the apparent source of the anomaly.

"Explain," she said curtly, "please." The woman did, while Crys set her mind to work. _This is beyond me,_ she decided reluctantly as the story unfolded, yet with relief. The reluctance came from her pride; she hated being force to say she couldn't do something. The relief came from knowing that she could pass this problem on to someone else.

"LSS-sama is visiting still." Kiyone offered. Crys nodded, more relief flooding her. Everything she had heard and observed told her that this Trainer, Armina, was a good Trainer and a good person. Passing her over to LSS-Sama would not be a problem.

"Right," Crys decided out-loud, "but let's do this properly." She ignored the weird looks she got. "Dex please, then I'm sending you to LSS-sama. She'll be able to figure this out, if anyone can." Armina and her Heero nodded with relief until they all heard a squawk come from the right of Armina. It was Kiba, looking slightly panicked.

"Kiba? What's wrong?" Armina asked.

"e-e-e-el-L e-e-e-es-S e-e-e-es-S-s-s-s-s-SAMA!" he stammered, "We're going to see LSS-SAMA?"

"Uh, yeah, so?" Heero asked.

"She's the Creator!" the wolf yelped, "She made this place! She made US!"

"Well, so did Tokio-sama, and she wasn't too intimidating." Heero reasoned.

"T-t-t-t TOKIO-SAMA? You met _her_!" apparently Heero's admission hadn't calmed Kiba at all.

"Yeah, first day 'Mina and I met." The pilot said, "Is that that big a deal?" Kiba didn't answer; he was too busy trying not to faint.

* * *

_I don't know but that I'd rather that Breena and Kaede were here with me,_ 'Mina thought as she approached the Orientation building that Kiyone was leading them to. The other two still had to be checked over and passed (the guard Crys had done a rush job with 'Mina), but 'Mina couldn't wait for them, Ketric had to be taken care of _now!_ Breena and Kaede had assured her they'd meet up with her. _But they'd be a big help here, especially Breena, her I'm-short-you-want-to-make-something-of-it attitude could really be useful right about now. _

'Mina couldn't help but be nervous, especially after Kiba's reaction. She hadn't really though about, but the fact that she had met and talked to Tokio-sama was pretty incredible. But, how was she to know that that person had been _that_ important? Heero hadn't acted like it was that big a deal. _But then, Heero's not impressed with authority, just deeds, _she realized,_ and he's not impressed with the Bish Trainer system here, so why should he be impressed by Tokio-sama and LSS-sama?_

But that didn't matter, figuring out Ketric did. The poor little fellow was about three steps away from complete shock and 'Mina was not happy with that. Kiyone's attitude wasn't helping; she kept glaring back over her shoulder and speaking only when she needed to. Heero was returning attitude with attitude, and while 'Mina was grateful that he was getting all huffy in her defense, it wasn't improving matters. And Kiba was totally useless right now, completely stunned that he and his Trainer, _he_ and _his Trainer_, were going to meet _LSS-sama_! He was currently trotting along at her heels, vacant-eyed, acting more like a domesticated dog than a sentient wolf. _Just let this issue be over soon. Let it be over soon._

Kiyone stopped in front of a large building with '_Orientation'_ emblazoned above the double doors and gestured for 'Mina and her crew to follow her in. They did, 'Mina pausing to make sure that Ketric didn't trip and that Kiba didn't wallop his head on the door in his distracted state. After that was done, 'Mina glanced around for her guide and noticed that Heero was pointing to the front desk where the Bishoujo was talking to the receptionist behind it. The receptionist nodded at what Kiyone was saying and sent her Ranma ½ Kasumi off with the note that Kiyone had given her.

"So this is the Trainer with the mystery Chibi?" The young-middle-aged woman asked then frowned slightly, "I don't see the-"

"No one does," 'Mina interrupted tiredly, "that's why we're here."

Kiyone frowned fiercely at her and opened her mouth to scold when she interrupted before she began.

"No one can see the Chibi?" a mature and authoritive sounding woman said from down the right-hand hall. "Or just other Trainers?"

"Just other Trainers." 'Mina said to the woman who walked out accompanied by Kasumi. This woman exuded the same air of practical competence that Tokio-sama had. 'Mina felt herself finally relax a little. "I can see Ketric perfectly well and so can Hee-kun and Kiba, and other Bish as well. But no other Trainer even noticed he was there until one of their Bish spoke up."

The woman nodded meeting 'Mina's eyes directly. It wasn't a challenging gaze; it was the gaze of someone who was trying to solve a problem with her full concentration. 'Mina continued.

"The only Trainer who could seem to see Ketric was the Check point guard…"

"Crys, my Trainer." Kiyone inserted. She was leaning against the desk watching the proceedings. LSS-sama shot her a quick glance.

"She's the one who puts the detective Bish to shame, right?" She asked. Kiyone nodded hard, seemingly stunned that this personage would bother to remember such a lowly figure. 'Mina felt herself relax completely. LSS-sama was just like her partner, there was no such thing as 'beneath their notice' for them.

"What did she say she observed?" LSS-sama asked. Kiyone described what she'd been told by her Trainer while Heero and 'Mina listened. Ketric revived a little and Kiba snapped out of it a bit, only to stare in awe. LSS-sama nodded at each point then finally turned back to 'Mina. "Could you bring the Chibi, Ketric you said? Here please?"

'Mina nodded and stooped to pick up the Chibi hanyou.

"Mi-nee-san?" he looked very frightened still, and it broke 'Mina's heart to see him that way.

"It's okay little one; LSS-sama's going to make everything better now." _I hope_, "No one's going to be mean to you again, I promise."

"'Kay…" he said doubtfully as he wrapped his arms around 'Mina's neck. She hefted him up, balancing him on her hip and notice that LSS-sama was watching everything. 'Mina set Ketric on the Reception desk and was then interrogated. LSS-sama wanted to know _everything,_ including what he ate that morning. 'Mina answered, growing more and more frustrated. _I can understand wanting all the facts but Ketric's getting scared again and you aren't helping!_

"Look, can we please cut to the chase here?" 'Mina snapped as LSS-sama paused to mull over what she'd been told. "I know that knowledge is important but K-chan is getting traumatized. _Again!_"

"Oh," LSS-sama said, "sorry, didn't know that. But I've gotten it figured out though; I was just surprised it kicked in so quickly…"

"That _what _kicked in?" Heero growled from 'Mina's side. He was just as 'pleased' as 'Mina that Ketric was growing frightened. He also detested the high-and-mighty, know-it-all attitude that this other person had. LSS-sama winced and eyed Heero cautiously.

"Tokio and I decided to add a little something in the system, just to make things more interesting." Heero growled and LSS-sama quickly continued, "It's the Original Character program." 'Mina, Heero and everyone else blinked. "Many people, authors and RPG gamers mostly, like to make Original Characters and tend to grow attached to them. Some grow as attached to the character they make as some fan-girls and fan-boys get to their favorite character. So Tokio and I decided to have these OC become real, for them to be born in this world. It's been a long haul, making this, but we finally finished it four days ago."

"Hey isn't that when…?" Heero started to say as both he and 'Mina stared at Ketric, who was looking back, hugging his tail.

"K-chan, didn't you say that you only remember three days back from when we met you?" 'Mina asked. Ketric nodded.

"Uh-huh, I was alone in the forest, then you saved me from the mean people." He replied.

"Curiouser and curiouser." Heero murmured. Kiba nodded.

"It looks like our little foundling is really all yours, 'Mina." The wolf said. 'Mina took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to organize her thoughts. Meanwhile the receptionist stared in confusion, and Kasumi sighed over how cute Ketric was.

"Why is it," 'Mina asked, "that only I and the Bish can see him?"

"Oh, that's an easy one." LSS-sama said, "That's so only you can catch him. It'd suck if some other Trainer saw and caught him."

"That's true…" 'Mina said, glancing at the Chibi hanyou who was looking less frightened and more baffled by the second. That was good as far as 'Mina was concerned, she hated it when her little K-chan was upset. That thought hardened her resolve.

"Tell me everything you know." She demanded, looking LSS-sama straight in the eye. "Please" She added. The senior Trainer nodded and began. It was a long description, but in some ways incomplete. But LSS-sama was able to explain a lot; like how there was a bond that formed between the OC and Trainer, which explained 'Mina's instantaneous love for Ketric. That was also in part because an OC was a kind of reflection of a Trainer's inner self.

More description; OC's could go up to five miles away from their Trainers and could last for more then seventy-two hours away, instead of the three miles and forty-eight hours a normal Bish could last. OC's _had_ to stay with their Trainers; they would cease to exist if traded or if the Trainer went back to the other world. Also, OC's had four stages, not three; Chibi, Chan, then San and Sama. The Chibi stage for an OC ranged from the apparent age of three to seven, Chan went from nine to twelve, San went fourteen to eighteen, and Sama was twenty to forty.

"Because OC's are so closely bonded to their Trainers," LSS-sama further explained, "their growth is based entirely on how well their Trainers do, and how well their Trainers accepts their inner self. So, your OC could grow at a ridiculously fast rate, or barely grow at all, depending on how you stand by him. He'll need that extra stage either way to cope either with growing up so fast, or to allow _you _to cope and figure out what you're doing wrong." Then her lips quirked. "But to judge by your Heero and Kiba, I have a feeling it's going to be the former problem."

'Mina bowed her head modestly, blushing furiously. "Thank you; I'm just trying my best."

"Which is very good indeed." Heero commented, hoping to make 'Mina blush more. _Mission accomplished_, he thought as 'Mina started to turn maroon. The assembled crowd chuckled at 'Mina's embarrassment, save for Kiyone, who was still a little peeved, and Ketric, who didn't understand what everybody was laughing about.

"So," LSS-sama said, recapturing everyone's attention, "catch him already. I want to see what this 'Ketric' looks like." 'Mina blinked, then turned fully to face Ketric.

"K-chan, do you want to stay with me?" she asked, following through with her self-imposed protocol of never catching without consent. "Do you always want to travel with me and stay by my side?"

"Why's she doing that?" Kiyone grumbled.

"'Mina-chan doesn't enslave." Kiba murmured at her, "Heero and I are traveling with her because we asked her to catch us. She won't do it any other way." He turned his attention back to his Trainer, leaving Kiyone to gape in astonishment.

"Yes!" Ketric said firmly, eyes glowing, "I wanna be with you always!"

"Okay," 'Mina responded, pulling out a Bish Ball "I'm going to put you in this ball for a little bit, but I'll let you right, I promise. Okay?" Ketric nodded, and 'Mina lightly tapped his arm. He vanished inside.

* * *

A.S.: ... Part C will include 'Mina's story. I have Twelve units, plus work, plus VP duties for my club, plus a self-imposed obligation to help my grandparents, plus three other fics... Life's just a little on the busy side for me right now. I _Will Not_ abandon my fics, but updates may be a monthly deal, or longer, instead of a every-two-weeks deal. In fact, if I get an update out within a month, hold a song and dance fest and call the papers, 'cause it'll be a bloody miracle. I wish it wasn't... but that's the way life is, sorry. Anyway, hope you enjoyed, constructive critisism is always welcome, check out my new Naruto fic and tell me what you think (shameless self advertising I know) 'Til next time, Ja ne 


	11. Yeah for Backstory and a Chapter Ten!

Disclaimer: I own nothin' and no one 'cept Armina, Ketric and the Original Character idea, which anyone can grab if they want so long as you credit me with the initial idea as I have Songwind with the initial idea of the Bish world. Damned good idea she had too.

AN: Hell with it, this is chapter Ten. I said Nine C, but… the hell with it. Chap nine has to die somewhere.

* * *

"So you're the first person to ever have an Original Character?" Breena demanded. 'Mina finished swallowing her tea.

"The very first, LSS-sama checked." She said, "Surprising isn't it, I've never been the 'very first' anything before. But I'm supposed to call her weekly for the first six months and then monthly until she says otherwise to keep her up to date on Ketric's development. Apparently there are still a heck of a lot of unknowns about OC's, and she wants to know what they are in case they aren't good things."

"Shrimp are good things." Kiba said shamelessly from 'Mina's elbow. While rolling her eyes she speared a few for the begging wolf. The group, 'Mina and her Bish, Breena and her Bish and Kaede and _her_ Bish, were at a Chinese restaurant eating lunch. 'Mina had a seat at the end of her table and Kiba had placed himself right next to her. He had his own dish, or rather bowl, of chow mein, but had apparently decided that whatever 'Mina had was better.

"You're pathetic, you know that?" Heero told the wolf, who was ignoring him in favor of his shrimp in oyster sauce.

"What kind of unknowns is LSS-sama looking for?" normal Miroku asked, gracefully ignoring both Heero and Kiba.

"Growth rate, habits, tendencies to which types of combats." 'Mina replied, "Just… stuff. She and Tokio-sama don't know much about OC's, apparently what they do is tell the system 'this would be neat, with this and that parameters' and the system does the rest. She also said that there might be some bugs that may need to be worked out." She glanced over at Ketric, who was making a happy mess out of _his_ chow mein, just as any three-year-old would do. Kaede and Heero were fussing over him, trying to keep him from making too much of a mess. "Not that I can see any problems."

"Looks like every other Chibi I've ever seen," Gangster Miroku drawled lazily from his seat wedged in the corner. Normal Miroku ignored him; Gangster Miroku couldn't have cared less.

The only thing that he was concerned with was the fact that Wufei and Kaede's other Bish, Samuri Champloo Mugen, were between him and all the nearby succulent lady flesh that he could… admire.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Wufei asked. Once he had learned that Ketric was legitimately 'Mina's, Wufei's attitude had improved dramatically. "If you go back on the road you can expect a lot of what you've gotten already, until the kid's Evolved that is." He warned.

'Mina sat back and tapped her lips with a finger, she hadn't thought of that. "Heero, Kiba, would you two be opposed to staying here for awhile?"

"There's a gym here" Heero answered absently, "Why would I be opposed to staying near a gym?"

"I wouldn't mind either," Kiba said, eyeballing a teriyaki pork rib, "the city's small enough and there's woods nearby. Can I have that?" 'Mina sighed and passed him the rib.

"That answer your question, Wufei?" 'Mina asked.

"Yeah, but I got another, for Heero." The Chinese pilot said. He suddenly had Heero's full attention. "Wanna fight?"

Heero leaned back against his seat, "Only if you don't waste my time." He drawled.

Wufei didn't blink, "They have a Mecha Arena here." He said by way of answer. 'Mina suddenly found Heero clamped around her waist.

"Can we go? Can we go _now_? Please? Please?Please?Puh-lease?" Heero begged desperately. 'Mina's eye twitched.

"Heero, you okay?" She asked, "You don't have a Gundam do you?"

"'Course, I do, right here." He lifted out a Capsule with a winged zero decal on it. "So, can we go? Can we go? Please? Please? Can we? Huh-huh?"

"Hai, hai" 'Mina sighed, already wearied by his behavior

"_NOW!_"

"Eehhh…."

"Sure, why not?" Kaede said cautiously.

"_YES!_" the Gundam Bish said.

* * *

"Wow, I didn't think a town this small would have a gym this big." 'Mina commented casually, trying to pretend that she didn't know Heero. He was practically dancing with excitement; but then again so was Wufei, much to Kaede's shame. The group walked towards the ten story building, shielding Ketric in the middle of the group from the glares of other Bish.

'Mina wasn't allowed a chance to enter the building under her own power, she found herself being pushed up to the desk by an over-eager Heero who thought she was going _much_ too slow. The receptionist and her Advent Children Sephiroth sweat-dropped in unison at the sight.

"Er, is the, uh, Mecha Arena, eh, available?" 'Mina asked when she reached the desk, as Heero pranced beside her.

"Is it, is it?" Wufei badgered as he leaned over the desk in excitement, "Please say it is? It is right? Please!"

"E-eh-eh…." The receptionist and Sephiroth chorused, weirded-out.

"I-it's free…" the receptionist was able to say.

"Woo-hoo!" the two Gundam Bish cheered, both tossing a fist into the air. Kaede and 'Mina twitched.

* * *

The group entered the huge, vaulted, metal paneled room that was the Mecha arena. It lay somewhere along the lines of the DBZ Room of Spirit and Time (horridly dubbed as the 'hyperbolic time chamber'), or the bathroom and workroom Washu from Tenchi made. It didn't really exist in the 'Real World' so nothing that happened inside it could affect anything outside it.

This was a good thing as Heero and Wufei walked to opposite ends of the arena and unCapsulized their Gundams. Wing Zero Neo, from Endless Waltz, and Altron from the later half of the Gundam Wing series suddenly loomed into sight. Heero and Wufei entered their Gundams, expressions tense with anticipation.

A mechanical voice suddenly squawked from a speaker located above the door.

"Combatants Heero Yuy, Chang Wufei, do you consent to fight?"

"Yeah."

"_Hell_ yeah!"

"Consent given. Battle start in 5… 4… 3-" The mecha crouched into battle ready stance. "…2…1- BEGIN!"

The two Gundams launched immediately into the air and both drew their beam weapons; Zero drawing its sword, Altron its triton. The fight was at too high a speed for 'Mina to track easily, mostly she saw bright flashes and brief moments where the two Gundams were locked blade to blade. The noise also was tremendous, the roar of engines, the whirring gears and the thunder-like noise of the blades crackling against each other.

Suddenly, she saw the Altron gain the superior position and fling Zero, hard, into the arena floor, back down. To follow up on that, the dragon Gundam landed on top of the belly of the other mecha, equally hard.

It hopped off, mechanical head aimed towards the winged mecha. The winged mecha didn't move. _Oh Gods, is Heero okay? Is this why there are so few mecha arenas, because it's too dangerous?_

"Winner: Chang Wufei, in Altron Gundam." The voice squawked. 'Mina started to run across the floor to check on her Heero, when the hatch opened up to reveal a slightly bruised-looking Heero. Wufei also emerged, and the moment he did so Heero unleashed a stream of the most potently _colorful_ language 'Mina had ever had the misfortune to hear while he shook his fist at the other pilot.

She continued her sprint across the arena, climbed up the mecha's side and walloped Heero across the backside of his head with her tessen as hard as she could.

"Holy- What the fuck was that for!" He demanded, whirling to stare at his Trainer, whom he hadn't known was there a moment before. 'Mina whapped him again.

"In case you're so idiotic as to forget, there is a Chibi present and you _will_ watch your language when you're within earshot of him!" She glared, and then hopped off the Gundam in a huff. "And to think, for a moment I was really worried about you!"

Heero gapped at her, eye twitching slightly as Wufei proceeded to almost fall out of his standing Gundam due to the fact he was laughing so hard.

"You shut up!" Heero snapped, "You had to have cheated! I want a re-match!" Any further outcries that may have come from Heero were waylaid as he got pegged from behind by the blunt end of 'Mina's tessen. He glared at her as he rubbed his head, she ignored him. She was very busy informing Ketric that if he ever used language like Heero had just used, he could expect to not be able to sit for a month from all the spankings she'd give him.

"And that goes for you too!" She suddenly declared, pointing fiercely at Heero. He jerked his head back in offended shock and tried to come up with some response. Since Wufei was now laughing so hard at him that the Chinese pilot couldn't stand, the Japanese pilot deemed it wiser to go after him with 'Mina's tessen. Hand to hand combat he could do. Fighting his Trainer when she was in this mood however… scary thought.

* * *

'Mina slumped into the chair in her hotel room and watched as her boys began their nightly ritual of getting ready for bed. Kiba 'argued' with the extra blankets 'Mina had requested for him until they were in a shape that the wolf found acceptable. Heero snagged some extra clothes out of the Capsule dresser and stripped off his sweat sodden shirt, obviously heading for the shower. Ketric hopped up onto on of the beds and discovered the joys of cable TV. Kiba glanced up at him fondly and chuckled as he flipped through the channels at high speed.

'Mina lurched out of her chair and went over to help Ketric find something appropriate and entertaining. Settling on a Disney movie, 'Mina sat back against the bed pillows with the Chibi tucked under an arm and watched the movie with more enjoyment than she had had the first time she'd seen it. It was amazing how a child's innocent happiness could alter one's perception.

Heero finished his shower and traded places with 'Mina so that she could have her nightly shower, which she took with gratitude. She may not have fought as Heero had, but the day had been stressful and she reeked of nervous sweat. She luxuriated in the heat of a long shower, being on the road with a finite water supply forbade her this 'simple' pleasure.

Apparently she took longer than she thought, for when she came out, all the Bishonen were asleep. _Heero and Kiba must have been more tired than I thought they were, but that only makes sense, if I think about it. They were on guard all day today, and that has to be exhausting._ 'Mina carefully extracted the remote from Heero's hand and turned off the TV, then flipped off the light over the bed he and Ketric occupied.

As she sat down on her bed, she stared at the Chibi. He was a miracle, a totally unexpected gift. _I didn't think I'd ever…_ As tired as she was, fully as exhausted as the two adult Bishonen, her emotions hit her like a hammer blow, one she couldn't guard against. Nor could she guard against the memories she'd been trying to shield against ever since she'd woken up in the hospital six months ago.

* * *

(I hate Flashbacks, but how do you avoid them when you're finally revealing character back-story?)

* * *

It was the tail end of Thanksgiving Holiday and she and her parents were driving back up the coast from the LA basin. It had been a good Thanksgiving, all of her family had been there for once; all three grandparents, her Minnesota cousins, aunt and uncle as well as her Connecticut cousins, aunt and uncle. But it was over and she and her parents were glad; family gatherings were good, but only in small doses.

That, and her parents had moved out of LA for the sparsely populated central coast for a reason.

It had been raining all day, but no worries, 'Mina's dad was an excellent driver. So good a driver was he that 'Mina had been getting ready to take a nap. She had picked up her pillow and hugged it to her chest absently, laughing over some joke her mother had made, when it happened.

They were going seventy-five mph in the fast lane, a medium sized pickup pacing them on the right. It was being driven by an eighteen year old college student; perpetually broke. So broke in fact, he had pushed replacing his tires as far as he could. That's what went wrong. His left front tire blew, and since he'd only had his license for a year and a half, he didn't know how to control his car.

He swerved right into her father's car, her father being unable to cope with the swiftly occurring accident in time, no matter how skilled he was. Neither could the huge pickup behind them cope. The massive truck slammed into them hard, pushing them into the van that was just in front of her family's vehicle. It was a four-way pile up, going at high speed and heading straight for the guardrail.

The guardrail did its job of preventing the accident from growing worse preventing the vehicles from entering the opposite flow of traffic, but it brought its own threat to bear on the helpless victims. Individual rails had sheered off their supports and lanced into the vehicles. One had headed straight towards 'Mina. That was the last sight she saw before the Paramedics revived her; the jagged end of the rail smashing through the window aiming low.

When she had woken, she had been in so much pain that her body shut off that sense temporarily. In fact, all of her senses seemed to have been shut off, except sight and sound. She heard the sound of rain, the wail of sirens. She saw the twisted metal and broken glass. She saw the mangled front end of the car where her parents had been and heard the first paramedic to arrive telling her not to look. It didn't matter; her shock was so deep that at first she couldn't comprehend what her eyes told her brain. Only later in nightmares would she understand what the blood-splatter, crushed, upholstered seats meant. She fell into unconscious again.

She had been in a coma for a month, which allowed her body to heal from the terrible damage done to it. The guardrail had sliced through her lower belly, cutting through organs and major blood vessels like the proverbial hot knife through butter. If it had gone three inches deeper, that 'butter' would have been her spine. Surprisingly, it was her pillow that had saved her; it hadn't slowed the rail at all, but it had prevented her from bleeding to death. She, the van driver and the teenager who had accidentally started it all were the only survivors.

But the victims had been more than the ones in the vehicles however. First it was her father's father, a widower, who had died of the shock from hearing that his eldest son had died. Next was her mother's father, who had had a bad heart to begin with, who had died upon learning that his beloved youngest daughter and husband were dead and that his only granddaughter might not live. Finally, 'Mina's surviving grandmother had passed away, with her husband gone and most of her other family gone, what reason did she have to live?

All this 'Mina learned upon waking from her coma; that and the other bad news. She had never desired children, but now it seemed her only option for creating a family that she was close to, unlike her other family in far off corners of the nation. But that course was now denied her as well.

The doctors had been able to repair her digestive tract and major blood vessels well enough for her to function. But her pastimes had to be limited to passive activities because of the fine mesh screen inwardly supporting her lower abdomen. It would there for the rest of her life. They hadn't been able to repair her reproductive system well enough to allow her to ever bear young however. Armina was now sterile.

Perhaps- no, that _was_ the reason that she had adapted so well to the Bish world. She had no hope for happiness in the Old World. Her parents had deeply loved her, their only child, and she had returned that love full volume. Having them die was like plucking the sun out of the solar system. It was a wonder that she hadn't committed suicide.

_Now I have a hope for a family,_ she thought as she looked at Ketric's sleeping form cuddled next to Heero. _Can you see this, Mother, Father? Can you see these friends, and this wonderful, beautiful little boy? Isn't he perfect?_

Tears streamed down her face unheeded. Emotion and memory still held her captive. It hurt, but it was also a relief to run over these painful events in her mind. _Like lancing an infected wound,_ she thought bitterly as she wiped her eyes. Finally the moment had run its course and she collapsed back into her bed, utterly drained. A few moments later she was deeply asleep.

* * *

Kiba had roused the moment that 'Mina had left the bathroom and had watched as 'Mina had cried silently. He smelled the emotional pain, so intense that he had nearly sneezed to clear the scent from his nose. _Should I-_, he wanted to go and comfort her, _no, not now, not like this,_ some inner instinct prompted.

He hadn't been invited; he had no right to intrude into 'Mina's privacy. Even if she was weeping not five feet away from the wolf. _I'll be here when she does need a shoulder to cry on;_ he told the part of himself that still wanted to rush to her side.

Kiba cared deeply for 'Mina, she was his Leader, his Alpha. But more than that, she was his true friend, unlike his last trainer. _She_ had been a Collector, so over-zealous in _her_ drive to have all Bish that _she_ had captured the Chibi wolf when Wolf's Rain Bish were still extremely rare. _She_ had been very peeved that he had never changed into his human form for _her_ and had abandoned him. Fortunately, _she_ wasn't so peeved as to kill him and had released him honestly. Still, the abandonment and the reason for it still rankled, even if he had hated _her_.

The fact that 'Mina had accepted him, helped him and then treasured his friendship for friendship's sake made the young woman very precious to him, although not in the way she was to Heero.

_I still don't know just how I feel about her, save that it isn't romantic._ Sibling bond, protector bond, comrade bond; any of those would work to explain his feelings. It didn't really matter though; Kiba would stay by 'Mina's side for as long as she needed him. He hoped that would be for the rest of his life.

'Mina finally cried herself out and lay back on her bed. Kiba carefully tested the air and found that 'Mina's scent had changed to purged pain mingled lightly with relief and an odd joy. That all changed to peace as she fell asleep. Satisfied with what he scented, Kiba relaxed into sleep as well.

* * *

A.S.: GAH! Jesus cluny frog on a pogo stick, was that hard to get out!

Heero: #stares at one scene# ... I lost...

A.S.: I've had that flashback scene planned for a while, but getting it out finally? That was not easy, which is why this chap's short.

Heero: ... I lost...

A.S.: Well, that and revamping my ultra, super-duper, mega sucky first chap.

Heero: ...not...right... I ...lost...

A.S.: As I mentioned in the new first chap A.N.'s the stats between my first chap and second chap were painful, as of today, 3-15-06, they are: 174 hits for the first chapter and, drum roll please, a whoppin' 24 hits for the second chapter! Woot...

Heero:...don't understand...I lost...

A.S.: So I did a total and complete rewrite. It was well worth the effort and it allowed me to insert some things that will help make later chapters make more sense.

Heero:... it doesn't...it's not...I lost...

A.S.: Now I just have to do a minor tweak in chap two and, Houston, there are no problems!

Heero: ...I need a hug...I lost...

A.S.: Oh will you get over it already? You can't be a perfect fighter or else you become a male Mary Sue!

Heero: But-!

A.S.: You still kick ass in hand-to-hand, what more do you want?

Heero: #sad puppy face#

A.S.: Yeah, right, whatever. Next chap features my current favorite BandWagon, NARUTO!


	12. Character List

Because _I _know I _don't _know all the fictional characters in the world, I feel it's safe to assume others will be in the same boat. Here's a list of the characters as they appear or are mentioned per chapter. Obviously this list will grow. I'd like advice as to whether or not I should list Original Characters such as Armina and whatever guest characters appear.

Addition: One night, while I was _trying_ to get to sleep, I contemplated Songwind's theory on what constitutes a Half-Bish (I think weird thoughts, I know). I decided that I didn't really like it too much and decided to change it. In my story, a Half-Bish will be the child of a Trainer and a Bish, period. If a Bishonen and a Bishoujo from two separate series decide to have a kid, the son will be of the father's type and the daughter will be of the mother's type. And if a Half-Bish has a child, a Quarter-Bish/ Quarter-Trainer, depending on the other parent, will result.

On a similar subject, of children at least, in some series you meet the parents of the main characters, as in Naruto, or the main characters _become_ parents, as in DragonBallZ. In the Bish world, this will lead to what I call Circular Generations. Circular Generations are… interesting. To use DBZ as an example, Goku will father a Gohan, who will father a Pan, who will (hang on to your hats) mother a Bardock, who will father a Goku; leading us back to the beginning of the cycle. All families in which you know of the parents will be like this. But in series that are still being created (like Bleach, Naruto or Shaman King) if the parents of the characters are introduced or are reveled, the characters will suddenly start producing their own parents. Talk about a need for therapy...

* * *

Chapter 1:

Heero Yuy: Gundam Wing, gundam pilot, computer hacker, special agent. Called the Perfect Soldier, Heero was trained to have no emotions and to obey without question. He is extremely skilled in martial arts and weaponry.

Chapter 3:

Relena Darlian/Peacecraft: Gundam Wing, pacifist leader of Sank Kingdom. Brilliant, passionate orator, has a thing for Heero, which greatly annoys many fans (author included).

Chapter 4:

Kiba: Wolf Rain, main character, strong white wolf capable of bending steel bars with his teeth. Eternally seeking Paradise, and the Flower Maiden Cheza.

Chapter 5:

Chang Wufei: Gundam Wing, gundam pilot, martial arts expert, explosives expert. Called the Solitary Dragon, Wufei fights to defend his clan and to find his own version of justice.

Sagara Sosuke (_Not_ Sagara Sanosuke): Full Metal Panic, young but highly skilled mercenary, Armored Slave pilot. Sosuke has lived his entire life on the battlefield and has a hard time dealing with civilian situations as is demonstrated when he goes under cover as a high school student.

Gene Starwind: Outlaw Star, main character. Grappler ship pilot, sharpshooter with a Caster gun.

Aisha Clan-Clan: Outlaw Star. Trouble maker, member of the Ctarl-Ctarl race, turns into a cat beast at will, very violent.

Lina Inverse: Slayers, sorcery genius, skilled swords woman. Lina is a very powerful sorceress, specializing in black magic (offensive magic, not necromancy) Very intelligent if violent, she has to deal with her brain deficient partner so is used to bossing men around. Addition: in one of the episodes in the first season/series, Lina goofs a cloning experiment, resulting in Mini-Lina's. Uh-Mu, Lina's trainer, has one of these as well.

Saotome Ranma: Ranma ½, martial arts expert/genius. Ranma is a highly skilled martial artist with a surfeit of fiancés and is cursed to turn into a girl if splashed with cold water, only to turn back into his male self if splashed with hot water.

Urameshi Yusuke: Yu Yu Hakusho, skilled street fighter, Spirit Detective. Yusuke dies and then is resurrected and is forced to accept the position of Spirit Detective as repayment. Loves to fight and has a kind side that is deeply buried and thoroughly denied.

Uchiha Sasuke: Naruto, gifted ninja trainee with the Sharingan, or mirror wheel, eye. A definite lone wolf, Sasuke's hell bent for vengeance against the person who single handedly slaughtered his clan, Sasuke's own older brother, Itachi.

Chapter 6:

Trowa Barton: Gundam Wing, Gundam pilot. Expert at espionage and acrobatics, he was a mercenary and a mobile suit pilot from an extremely young age. Anti-social, and nearly silent, he seems able to befriend anyone merely by being present, but don't try to get him to talk, it won't work.

Chapter 7:

Nuriko: Fushigi Yugi, Suzaku Seven. Despite the way I spoke about him in the fic, I absolutely love Nuriko. He is a very cool character, with enormous strength, and fantastic cross-dressing ability (whenever he looses his shirt in the series I do a double-take over the fact that there's no _boobs_). Nuriko ends up being about everyone's best friend, so that makes one particular scene really, really sad; I always cry (no spoilers here, nope, nope). But Nuriko is definitely a fashion expert.

Usagi (Serina): Sailor Moon, Sailor Moon. Ah, the resident meatball headed, vapor-brained, stereotypical blonde. She is the main character of her series, of which I watched… five episodes? Not much else to say, 'cept she's a ditz.

Azusa: Ranma ½, Martial arts ice skating champion. The cute-collector, Azusa collects (steals) anything that's cute and gives it (or him/her/them) a French name. She's 16 and looks to be around 11 years of age. Because she is an athlete she is very strong, but nothing between the ears but a dusty 'space for rent' sign.

Dorothy: Gundam Wing, Sank Kingdom school student. The granddaughter of one of Relena's chief political rivals, it's surprising that she's such an admirer of the Peacecraft. Which is really weird since Dorothy thinks war is beautiful. But she is brilliant in her own way, and a lover of the color gold, even though she wears black. Giant gold limo, gold jewelry, gold semi… not kidding folks (why does she have that thing, why?)

Himura Kenshin: Rurouni Kenshin, Hitokiri Battousi. A master swordsman in the Hiten Misuru- 'a heck with it' style. He killed many during the revolution, and then swore to never kill again, doing real good so far. Favorite phrase is 'Oro?' (gonna hafta work that in somehow) and has bright red hair. Real loveable guy.

Tasuki: Fushigi Yugi, Suzaku Seven, bandit. Tasuki was a bandit when he was recruited for the Seven, and wields a flame-throwing, metal tessen, which is activated by the words 'Recca Shin'en'. Redhead and fanged, he loves sake a little too much (tho' is not a drunk) and likes to harass Tamahome, a fellow Suzaku Seven. Nice guy, best friend to Nuriko, and a survivor.

Kurama/ Youko Kurama: Yu Yu Hakusho, reincarnated (maybe?) kitsune demon. Kurama is a fox. No, literally, he's a fox demon incarnated into a human body. In his human form he is known as Shuichi, and as Kurama by those who know his past. Later, he learns how to tap his full demon power and transforms into his old shape of Youko Kurama, a white-haired, fox-eared, fox-tailed (hooo-ooot) taller humanoid demon. He's cute in his red-haired, green-eyed human form too. Otherwise… he's brilliant, the brains of his team.

Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho, half-kourime, jaganshi, demon. A short, vicious powerhouse fighter. Hiei bears the Jagan eye and can summon the Black Demon-Fire Dragon, a lethal attack. Anti-social (think Vegeta) but honorable, he will fight to the death for his allies, and try and drive them insane with his critical remarks while he's at it.

Chichiri: Fushigi Yugi, Suzaku Seven, mage/monk. Wise advisor/comedy relief, Chichiri has a tendency to go Super Deformed and end all his sentences with 'na no da!' He's a powerful ally, and seems to be everyone's favorite Fushigi Yugi character. I like Tasuki myself… or Nuriko…

Sagara Sanosuke: Rurouni Kenshin, powerful fist-fighter. Sano's a rough-edged, foul-mouthed, sake-loving, freeloading, loyal, honorable friend (yeah, he's my fav RK chara, so sue me). He always stands by his friends, and is willing to dishonor himself to save Kenshin's life, if need be. Not always the brightest… but still the most fun.

Iilpallazo: Excell Saga, head of ACROSS (or AKROSS). Uhh… not much to say about him 'cept he has dignity and is obsessed over by Excell. Oh, and he gets bored easy.

Excell: Excell Saga, member of ACROSS. An AMV clip described her very well; you know the song "Insane in the membrane, Insane in the brain"? That's Excell, insane. She obsesses over Iilpallazo like you would not believe; and has a dog named Menchi who's also known as 'emergency rations'.

Legolas: Lord of The Rings trilogy, elven archer. If you do not know who Legolas is, you have no culture. Probably the only elf to have a dwarf for a friend, Legolas represented his kind for the Fellowship of the Ring and then became a large part of the war against Sauron. Very noble and loyal to a fault.

Shippou: Inuyasha, young kitsune. Shippou's main purpose is to tease Inuyasha, act a chaperone for Kagome & Inuyasha and Miroku & Sango, and to be very cute.

Inuyasha: Inuyasha, half-dog demon, hanyou. Inuyasha is a strong fighter and has a powerful demon blade whose name I'm not going to spell right now. The evidence of his half blood comes in the form of dog-ears. He also has a very short temper.

Piccolo: DBZ, powerful Namekian, Z-seishi fighter. Piccolo is a bad guy turned good guy, so he has an anti-social personality as well. He is extremely loyal to his new-found-friends and is very intelligent. And green, can't forget that he's a big green man alien type dude.

Shin: DBZ, God of the… some direction… Z-seishi later on in the series during the Majin Buu arc, he's purple this time, not green, and is very strong, but not as strong as the Saiya-jins, which shocks the hell out of him when he finds out how powerful they are. He fights to maintain balance, and is very dedicated and loyal to his comrades.

Dee Laytner: Fake, NYPD detective. Black-haired and green-eyed, Dee is constantly pursuing his partner Ryo McLane. Aggressive, but with a hidden soft spot, Dee's actually a really nice guy, but you wouldn't know that from the way he acts in the office and from the way he constantly relies on his hard-working partner to keep up with the paper work!

Valgavv: Slayers Try, Demon/Dragon…thing… Valgavv is an extremely powerful- changeling I guess you could call him. He was once a dragon, but his people were hunted by the gold dragons and only Val (as he was called then) survived. He encountered Gavv, a rouge demon, who turned him into a demon due to the fact that both of them were being hunted by their own kind. Valgavv is fiercely loyal to Gavv, and has a few issues due to his mixed blood.

Randy 'Ryo' McLane: Fake, NYPD detective. Ryo is a very hard-working, dedicated cop who has to put up with his short-tempered slacker of a partner Dee, who's constantly pouncing him. Ryo has a soft spot for kids, and adopts an orphan from a case that he and Dee first worked on. Ryo is later very grateful for this, because the orphan Bikky turns out to be the only thing keeping Dee from pushing things too far too fast (Dee's not about to traumatize the poor kid, even if they are rivals of a kind for Ryo's attention)

Hibiki Ryoga: Ranma ½ , martial artist, main rival of Ranma, cursed to turn into a piglet, in possession of the world's worst sense of direction. Ryoga is probably the favorite out of all of Ranma's rivals, because even though his has his idiot moments, he still has the most intelligence and the most honor out of the rivals. He is also the only one who has ever successfully beaten Ranma on more than one fluke occasion.

Bokutou no or Wooden-Sword Ryu: Shaman King, shaman-in-training. Ryu starts off as just a stupid gangster for Yoh and Manta to test their strength and their friendship against, but after Yoh saves Ryu, the gangster turns out to be a very nice and ridiculously loyal friend with Shamanic powers. His super pompadour is a running gag in the series, since it's constantly being cut off and having to be re-grown.

Takada Kanryu: Rurouni Kenshin, minor villain and industrial businessman. Kanryu is basically an over-glorified drug dealer obsessed with money. He hires the Oniwabanshu to guard him and holds Megumi hostage to make opium for him, and is then defeated by Kenshin but not before he kills four of the Oniwabanshu with a gattling gun. I had to look at five different info-sites for his last name before I found one that had him in it that's how minor he is.

The Ranmaverse ™ fiancés: Ranma ½, very scary bunch. Due to the fact that Ranma's father is a self-absorbed moron, Ranma has multiple fiancés, including Tendo Akane, Shampoo, Kuonji Ukyo, Kuno Kodachi (not really engaged, but hopes to be) and many, many more. This makes life in Nerima, Ranma's current home, very… exciting.

Haruno Sakura: Naruto, one of the three-man team including Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto. She's a genius at memorizing things and in finely controlling her Chakra, which makes her powerful in her own way. She is a rival with Ino for Sasuke's affection, even though he ignores them both.

Yamanaka Ino: Naruto, teammates with Chouji and Shikamaru. Ino's main skill is that of taking over another person's body with a mind/body switch. She is also in love with Sasuke and fights Sakura for his attention, but neither of them is getting it any time soon.

Yukimura Keiko: Yu Yu Hakushou, most likely candidate for Yusuke's girlfriend. Keiko is a polite, intelligent, hard-working student who is in possession of one of the hardest face-slaps I've ever seen. While she is a 'good girl' she also is iron willed and pretty tough for an Anime heroine. She's one of the few heroines that I can actually see working with the hero, since Yusuke seems as fond of Keiko as she is of him. She's still damn scary when pissed though.

Botan: Yu Yu Hakusho, shinigami. Yes, the original pink and baby blue, bubbly school girl God of Death. She's one of those characters who could be _so_ annoying but some how rarely strays from the border of tolerability into flat-out obnoxious-ness. She has blue hair and pink eyes and rides on a wooden oar the way a western witch will ride a broom. She has healing powers and is Yusuke's assistant, and, for some reason that baffles me completely, is often paired with Kurama. Kurama speaks to her oh, a total of maybe five times in the series and catches her from falling _once_ in a movie. Come on people, if you're going to make a romance, base it on more than that!

Yukina: Yu Yu Hakusho, Korime (ice maiden), healer, Hiei's twin sister. Yukina is a quiet, shy, sweet girl that unknowingly has Kuwabara wrapped around her pinky finger. She's looking for her twin brother, Hiei, and does not yet realize who he is. Hiei is quite happy with that however, his greatest wish is her happiness and he does not feel that her knowing her brother is a criminal will make her happy. This leads to a great deal of humor however, since Yusuke and Kurama, great teasers both, know that Yukina and Hiei are twins and don't let up on poor Hiei.

Temari: Naruto, team mates with Gaara of the sand, and Kankuro. Temari is a powerful fighter who uses a gigantic fan to create a strong offense. She is very clever and levelheaded which is shown in her fight with the equally clever and levelheaded Shikamaru. She does not have a crush on Sasuke even though she admits to his good looks, silently.

TenTen: Naruto, teammate with Rock Lee and Hyuga Neji. Throwing-weapon's specialist, that's about all there is folks.

Hyuga Hinata: Naruto, teammate with Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino. Hinata is a very shy girl from the infamous Hyuga clan and possesses the Byakugan and Gentle Fist fighting style. She has a MAJOR crush on Naruto in the series, whom she feels is stronger than all the winners of their peers because he keeps getting back up after a fall. But because of her shyness and low self-esteem, her fighting like a wild animal is highly unlikely.

Chapter 8

Sephiroth: FF7, Bad Guy extrodinaire. Is there anyone out there who _doesn't_ know who this guy is? No? Good, I never played the game (waits for exclamations of shock and disbelief to die down), so I don't know that much save that he's violent, psyco, powerful and has a Masumara sword. And he hates Cloud for some reason, I think.

Demon-Eyes Kyo: Samuri Deeper Kyo, fierce warrior, one of the original bad-asses. Kyo is an insanely powerful anti-hero who is currently stuck in someone else's body, hence the Kyoshiro-Kyo and Kyo Kyo.

Mibu Kyoshiro: Samuri Deeper Kyo, strong fighter who can't kill. Kyoshiro starts out looking like a lecherous idiot, but you later learn that he is a crazy-powerful fighter who can't kill for some reason. He is also the person who separated Kyo from his body and locked Kyo's spirit inside himself.

Samuri Deeper Kyo cast: There are a lot of hard core, bad-ass, anti-heroes in this series; if you've read/watched it you know what I mean. They're not a nice crowd.

Chapter 9a

Miroku: Inuyasha, monk/pervert with a cursed wind tunnel in his hand. Rumiko-sama's latest pervert and the most likeable thus far. The extent of his perversion is mass flirtation and asking women to bear his child; with the occasional ass rubbing mixed in for fun. He's a powerful fighter in his own right and the most intelligent and levelheaded of the protagonists.

Sango: Inuyasha, demon-slayer, warrior woman. Sango's a young woman with a tragic past, but she battles beyond it to be one of the reliable fighters of the group. Her primary weapon is a Gigantic boomerang bone Hirakotsu (I believe that's how it's spelled)

List Still a Work-In-Progress! Sorry folks! (ducks rotten fruit, erasers and sporks being thrown at authoress)


End file.
